A letter circulating on X seemingly addressing Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) employees in Kenya states that the fast food restaurant chain is “implementing a round of layoffs” in light of the protests around the country that have affected business operations. The letter was shared here on July 22, 2024, a day before the #OccupyJKIA protests took place.
Background
Kenya has witnessed peaceful protests demanding accountability and better governance across the country since June 18, 2024. While the protests began as a way of expressing opposition to the Finance Bill 2024 that was at the time being debated in Parliament, they have now evolved to include a host of demands, including calling for an end to corruption and perceived incompetence within government.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the national human rights watchdog, at least 60 people have died in connection with the protests due to police brutality. Several businesses were vandalised in various parts of the country on diverse dates during protests.
Verification
In an email statement sent to Piga Frimbi, KFC confirmed that the letter was fake and that there are no layoffs in its restaurants in Kenya. “We can confirm that this letter is indeed fake and that the alleged employee actions are not being taken by our Franchise Partner in Kenya,” the email stated.
A similar statement was posted on the official KFC Kenya X and Instagram account on July 24, 2024.
In addition to the absence of the letter on official KFC channels on July 22, 2024, when it surfaced, the fake letter had various features that are consistent with other falsified statements that circulate online. Firstly, the letter includes a typing error that capitalized the letter ‘C’ in country. Such errors are typically flagged before official statements are published. See the image grab below.
Verdict
The letter claiming that KFC is laying off some of its workers in Kenya due to the countrywide protests is FAKE.
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