A photo of a statue in South Africa purported to be that of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga stirred debate among Kenyans.
The photo, which surfaced online on Sunday, November 29, portrayed a golden statue of Raila Odinga pulling his signature dance stance.
"South Africa erects a statue of Raila Odinga. To signify respect in common for Raila Odinga and Nelson Mandela," read the caption for the photo.
The image lit up the social media space as netizens combed through the statue in an attempt to investigate it's credibility. A hawk-eyed social media user spotted the letters "NDELA" just behind the statue which necessitated further probe.
They uncovered that the original statue is that of Nelson Mandela which portrays the exact same stance as the altered statue. The statue is currently at the Nelson Mandela square in South Africa.
"I doubt. That is the exact point where the Nelson Mandela statue stands at Nelson Mandela Square.
"Desperation is real to the point of Mandela's statue being altered??"
"This is meant to be Mandela" read some of the tweets who were quick to spot the fake statue.
Earlier on, a section of netizens fell for it hook, line and sinker. Some of them lauded the ODM leader for the monumental achievement while others ranted about the essence of erecting a Raila statue in South Africa.
The Nelson Mandela statue was initially erected in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of South Africa's first democratic elections. The statue was unveiled on March 31, 2004.
The aim of the statue is to pay homage to first black head of state who took office after the dismantling of the apartheid system. His struggles, commitment to anti-apartheid regime and political stance made him a key political figure in Africa.
Ndileka Mandela, Mandela's eldest granddaughter, unveiled the statue and noted that it was not only a symbol for honouring Mandela but also honouring South Africa.
