The Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) has flagged a viral ad that was charging Kenyans up to Ksh400,000 for an advertising opportunity.
The advert used KenGen official letterhead to advertise non-existent opportunities.
In the viral letter, members of the public were invited to celebrate KenGen’s 25th anniversary and detailed how individuals and companies can participate.
“In January 1998, the government of Kenya restructured the energy sector by separating the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
“The exercise birthed KenGen and we are now celebrating our 25th anniversary,” the now-flagged advert read in part.
According to the letter, KenGen contracted a business partner who would help the company to celebrate the anniversary.
Individual Kenyans and companies were directed to contact the outsourced company if they wanted to be part of KenGen’s 25th-anniversary celebrations.
The outsourced company was supposed to solely handle advertising through its monthly publication.
Kenyans and other interested parties were given the following advertising rates; Quarter page Ksh90,000, Half page Ksh145,000, Full page Ksh250,000, and Centre spread Ksh400,000.
In a statement to the public, KenGen announced that it had not contracted the said advertising company.
“We have received an alert over a fake document being circulated on social media,” the power production company denounced the advert.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant and bring such cases to our attention or report them to the nearest police station,” KenGen advised members of the public.