This video (original link here) claims to show a school bus set on fire in Kiambu, allegedly for ferrying machetes, during the July 19, 2023 protests in Kenya. The video shows a flame of fire coming from a bus belonging to St. James Kaikor Boys’ Secondary School.
Background
Between July 19 and July 21, 2023, Kenya experienced three days of opposition-led protests, over the high cost of living and tax hikes. According to a report by Nation, the protests saw a number of businesses closed and others looted. As a result, on July 25, 2023, President William Ruto extended a meeting to Azimio party leader, Raila Odinga. An invitation that Raila dismissed and termed a ‘public relations exercise.’
Verification
The video has an attached TikTok account. A keyword search on the TikTok account leads to the video where the description shows the bus caught fire in Kainuk, Turkana South. According to the video, the bus belongs to St James Kaikor Boys Secondary School, located in Kaikor, Lodwar, Turkana County.
The video was originally shared on Tik Tok by an account named Mandela Lorukia on July 18, 2023, a day before the July 19, 2023 protests in Kenya.
Another keyword search on Google provides a fact-check by PesaCheck, flagging the claim as false. The article led us to a post made by Ewala TV Turkana on 18 July 2023. The post stated that the vehicle caught fire enroute from Narok but no casualties were reported.
Verdict
This school bus was not set on fire for ferrying machetes.
This fact check was published by Piga Firimbi with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact-Checking Alliance.
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