This tweet bears an image of a woman that was attacked by rogue criminals in Nairobi. The image was circulated widely, with the caption on some of the tweets bearing the same claim. The caption on the post claims that the lady in the picture is allegedly a student at KCA University. The message was also virally circulated on WhatsApp causing panic among parents and students at the institution.
Background
In the recent past, news on insecurity in Nairobi has flooded social and mainstream media. The National Police Service (NPS) however, on November 11, 2022, through commander James Mungera refuted the claims of the increased crime rate in Nairobi. Further asserting that the contrary is being witnessed in the city.
After dismissing insecurity claims circulating across various media, the National Police Service, on November 14, 2022, released a list of crime spots in the city, warning citizens to be on the lookout. The marked zones include: Thika Highway; along the Drive-In flyover to KCA, the KCA underpass, Total exit to KCA, Globe Cinema, Kipande Road, ABC Place, Kangemi along Waiyaki Way, River Road, Archives, Kirinyaga Road and Fig Tree. The criminals according to the report are targeting pedestrians, businesses; especially M-Pesa shops and residential areas.
Verification
The fact that the area around KCA University is one of the marked zones mentioned in the NPS report would lead many to believe whatever is claimed on the post and the viral messages on WhatsApp. However, the institution’s Dean of Students, the Head of Department for the Faculty of Education and Arts and student leaders, on November 16, 2022, visited the OCS Muthaiga to address the security concerns around the institution.
Piga Firimbi reached out to Benson Ngobia, the Head of Department for the Faculty of Education and Arts. He affirmed that no cases had been reported in and out of campus as social media suggests. He nonetheless urged students to be careful as the university cannot do much about the insecurity outside the school compound. Piga Firimbi also accessed an internal press release circulated among the stakeholders at the institution dismissing the claims as fake.
Verdict
Claims that the lady attacked by criminals is a student at KCA University are FALSE.
This fact check was published by Africa Uncensored with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact-Checking Alliance.
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