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No, Kenya’s education ministry isn’t planning to make university students wear uniforms

Is Kenya’s education ministry planning to make university students wear uniforms like schoolkids?

This was the claim in a doctored image posted on Facebook on 10 May 2019. It shows what appears to be a screenshot of a TV news report with the words “universities to wear uniforms” at the bottom of the screen.

“Education CS Prof Magoha has said plans are underway to have university students wear uniforms like their high school counterparts,” read the caption to the image posted on a Facebook page with more than 84,000 followers.

George Magoha is Kenya’s newly appointed cabinet secretary for education.

The image was also posted on Twitter, prompting angry responses. A Twitter poll was even held on the claim, with 68% of the 1,047 votes against university uniforms.



‘Ignore this cheap propaganda’


A Google reverse image search reveals the original undoctored photo was first published online on 14 March 2019, on the CitizenTV website. It was used in a report on Magoha appearing before the national assembly for the statutory vetting of his suitability to head the education docket.

Some Twitter users pointed out that the doctored image was definitely a fake, because the TV screengrab had been edited. The words “Prof Magoha’s vetting” had been replaced with “universities to wear uniforms”.

The education ministry quickly dismissed the claim, on Twitter.

“Public MUST ignore this cheap propaganda on social media,” its 10 May tweet read. “Magoha has never said this anywhere. Photo was taken during his vetting in Parliament where he said nothing like this. How low can malicious people get in their desperate attempt to muddy a shining public servant?”

So, no: Kenya’s education ministry isn’t planning to make university students wear uniforms. - Alphonce Shiundu (17/05/19)

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