Is This Front Page of The Star Legitimate?

This tweet purports to show The Star newspaper’s front page on the July 7, 2022 issue. The headline claims that Interpol revealed IEBC chairperson, Wafula Chebukati and two other commissioners allegedly received a bribe worth $3 million to influence ballot printing tender in favour of a Greek firm.

Background

On Wednesday June 29, 2022, The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO, Hussein Marjan announced that Lykos Inform, a printing firm situated in Athens, Greece had been awarded the tender to print the ballot papers to be used in the elections slated for August 9, 2022.  Lykos Inform was awarded the tender to print ballot papers, the printed register of voters, statutory elections declaration form and election results declaration form.

Verification

The image circulating bears all the qualities of an original front page from The Star newspaper; from the font, colour and layout of elements on the page. However Piga Firimbi found that the image had been manipulated.

The Star Kenya, through a tweet, dismissed the front page as fake.

A visit to The Star’s website shows this as the original front page for the issue produced on July 7, 2022.

Piga Firimbi has previously debunked fake front pages here.

Verdict

The image supposedly showing a front page of The Star newspaper for the July 7, 2022 issue is FAKE.

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