This statement alleged to be from Human Rights Watch (HRW) started circulating on February 16, 2023, shared here, here, here and here on Twitter before spreading on Facebook.
The statement dated February 15, 2023, addresses the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and bears the signature of Laura Pitter, a high-level official at Human Rights Watch. An article shared here also included the alleged memo.
Background
Lilian Waithera, a staff member of 15 years at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) collapsed and died on the streets of Nairobi on February 13, 2023. Police classified the death to be sudden, probably from a heart attack. However, a post-mortem conducted on February 14, 2023, ruled the death to be because of a bullet lodged in the lungs of the deceased.
Investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are ongoing to determine who fired the bullet. Detectives visited the scene Nairobi Central Business Disrict (CBD) on February 16, 2023, to piece together the incident.
Verification
Laura Pitter whose name is on the memo in question is the Deputy Director of the US program at Human Rights Watch. She clarified in a post on her official Twitter account that the statement is Fake. “No, this is not me. It is a fake,” the post reads, “We are investigating.”
Additionally, Human Rights Watch flagged the memo as fake on its official Twitter page. The NGO stated that it was investigating the impersonation.
Verdict
The memo purporting to be from Human Rights Watch is FAKE.
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