A digital card featuring Nairobi Leo's branding and a quote purportedly from Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo has been circulating on Facebook. The graphic bears Odhiambo's image and claims she criticised Wiper Patriotic Front party leader Kalonzo Musyoka for allegedly intimidating Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. The post was shared days after Musyoka was heckled at the unveiling of the Linda Mwananchi Movement's headquarters in Nairobi.
Despite bearing Nairobi Leo's branding, the graphic does not appear on the publication's official Facebook page or X account, where they typically post digital cards. A comparison with authentic Nairobi Leo cards revealed that the fake card contains a lengthy statement, unlike the brief wording typical of genuine cards. This raised suspicions about its authenticity.
On 2 November 2023, Nairobi Leo disowned the graphic, stating that it did not emanate from their media house and flagging it as fake. The legislator, Millie Odhiambo, also disowned the card and termed it "fake". This development confirms that the digital card is not a genuine publication from Nairobi Leo.
PesaCheck, East Africa's first public finance fact-checking initiative, examined the digital card and found it to be fake. The fact-checking organisation is helping to sort fact from fiction on social media platforms, including Facebook, by partnering with them to provide deeper insight and context to posts.
The fake digital card is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms. PesaCheck's work is crucial in helping the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements, especially those related to public finances and Sustainable Development Goals.
The fact-check was written by PesaCheck fact-checker Rodgers Omondi and edited by senior copy editor Mary Mutisya and chief copy editor Stephen Ndegwa. The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck managing editor Doreen Wainainah. PesaCheck was co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein and is incubated by Code for Africa.
Key to PesaCheck's work is its emphasis on testing the accuracy of public pronouncements about numbers that shape our world, particularly those related to public finances and Sustainable Development Goals. This fact-checking initiative plays a vital role in promoting accountability and transparency in public discourse.
Key points
- The digital card claiming to quote Millie Odhiambo is fake and does not emanate from Nairobi Leo.
- PesaCheck found the graphic to be part of a series of fact-checks examining potential misinformation on social media platforms.
- The fact-checking initiative plays a crucial role in helping the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements.
