The issue of land is very emotive in Kenya as some people are known to fall victims to scammers and end up losing their money and homes when things go wrong. Some schools and estates have lost part of their public lands and so have some forest in the country.
Given the above reasons, it is very important that any information about land be verified before dissemination. A tweet going around had listed The Weston Hotel among other prime pieces of land in Karura, Loresho, Laikipia and Upper Hill areas among others as being up for reclaim by the government.
According to the notice, the land had been given to government officials and beneficiaries of illegal allocations. However, the ministry of land has come out declare the tweet as Fake
“Please note that the purported notice below that has been doing rounds on social media is FAKE. Official communication from the Ministry is shared through its VERIFIED social media accounts and/or those of the Cabinet Secretary,” said the Ministry of Land and planning in a tweet
Fake News continues to present a problem in Kenya and around the world often with very serious consequences.
As per a previous article on this page, this is how you can counter Fake News:
– There are a number of platforms in Kenya that you can use to verify fake news that you can adopt for your daily blogging. They include Africa Check, PesaCheck, and more.
– Avoid websites with suspicious URLs or designs that look hastily put together. Check to make sure the site has a secure connection before clicking on the link
– Also, consider using a comprehensive security suite to ensure your devices and online accounts are protected at all costs.
– Verify your images before sharing them anywhere. TinEye is an example of an image search and recognition company that you can use to search for the originality of your images. Google also has an option for Reverse Image search that can help you verify your images.
While sharing information online, be cautious about its effect on others, how will they interpret it or how will it affect their daily lives.
