This post alleges that the man in the video is a West Pokot bandit displaying his marksmanship. Apart from Twitter, the video is shared on Facebook, garnering thousands of views and reactions.
Background
Eight police officers, two civilians and a chief are reported to have died in an ambush by cattle rustlers in Turkana East on September 24, 2022. According to the National Police Service, the officers were trailing a group of West Pokot bandits suspected to be involved in a raid in Turkana East.
President William Ruto addressed the incident in a tweet. “I have instructed security agencies to deal firmly, decisively and conclusively with those involved,” he said. Northern Rift Valley has a bloody history of conflict and banditry despite sustained efforts by the government over the past decades.
Verification
A reverse image search on the video’s keyframes reveals that a similar video was posted on LinkedIn in 2021 without mention of the Wst Pokot tribe as alleged in the posts on Twitter and Facebook.
In addition to that, the language the men are speaking was identified as Dinka: A Nilotic ethnic group native to South Sudan. The men can be heard instructing the man holding a rifle on how to hold the firearm and shoot. ‘Raise your hand higher,” one man says in Dinka.
Verdict
Claims that the video shows a West Pokot bandit are FALSE.
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