FACT CHECK: Did Kenyan Police Issue This Letter Banning ‘Peaceful Demonstrations’?
An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a letter from the Kenya Police Service announcing the banning of “peaceful demonstrations” at the Tanzanian embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.
Facebook/Screenshot
Verdict: False
There is no evidence the police issued such a letter. Kenya’s national police service issued a statement calling it “fake.”
Fact Check:
Tanzanian authorities recently started moving Maasai pastoralists, members of an indigenous African group, from the Ngorongoro conservation area over concerns that they are endangering the wildlife, AFP reported. Several Maasai leaders were arrested and 30 people were injured June 14 following anti-eviction demonstrations in the region, according to The Guardian.
An image shared on Facebook claims that police in Kenya have now banned peaceful demonstrations against the decision taking place outside the Tanzanian embassy in Nairobi. The image shows what appears to be a June 14 letter from the Kenya Police Service announcing that all demonstrations in front of the embassy are now banned.
“This Letter notifies that the said demonstrations have been banned by the police force as the Maasai saga is internal issue and is politically motivated by some big shots in Kenya,” the letter reads in part.
The letter is fabricated. None of the police service’s authentic social media posts or press releases mention a ban on “peaceful demonstrations” at the Tanzanian embassy or the enforcement of such a restriction. A small Maasai march to the embassy was dispersed by law enforcement June 17, leading to the arrest of a national community leader, according to The Associated Press.
The country’s national police service published a Facebook post about the letter on June 14, calling it “fake news.” (RELATED: Does This Image Show A Kenyan Building Lit With The Colors Of The Ukrainian Flag?)
This is not the first time Kenya has been the subject of viral misinformation. Check Your Fact recently debunked a post in April that claimed to show Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring war on the country.
