A message published on a popular Kenyan Telegram channel claims that a Kenyan World Cancer Day virtual meeting was hacked.
According to the Telegram post, the meeting was attended by Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and stakeholders in the Ministry of Health, when the hackers reportedly shared obscene images which forced the meeting to be called off.
Background
The World Cancer Day is held every February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. The day was initiated at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium on February 4, 2000 in Paris. It is an initiative by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) a body that leads in convening, capacity building and advocacy initiatives that unite and support the cancer community. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually this year.
Verification
According to COMPSMAG, an online magazine covering technology stories and reviews, the meeting which started at around 10:50 a.m. was infiltrated by hackers even before Oncologist David Makumi who was the first speaker finished addressing the forum. The hackers took control of the platform, sharing obscene messages and videos, hence forcing the meeting to come to an end.
Capital News reported that one of the intruders revealed himself and could be seen eating potato crisps while the rest engaged the audience in derogatory. The interruption came as Dr. Makumi was explaining statistics that 130 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in Kenya and 100 dying from the disease daily.
Verdict
The claim that the Kenyan World Cancer Day virtual forum attended by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe and ministry officials was hacked is therefore TRUE.
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