A photo of a wall purportedly being erected at around State House, Nairobi went viral on Tuesday, March 14 drawing mixed reactions from Kenyans.
The photo showed an ongoing construction of a concrete wall, with a section of Kenyans claiming that it was being done at State House, ahead of Azimio's mass action slated for Monday, March 20.
Kenyans.co.ke conducted a fact check to ascertain the picture's authenticity.
An aerial view of State House, a live satellite image search of Nairobi, and digital forensics analysis revealed the following:
Findings
From the photo, a Mabati structure stood next to the wall, indicating that another building was probably being constructed next to State House, Nairobi.
This was inconsistent with the current aerial photo of Nairobi State House, which had no immediate structures and a live satellite image similarly showed no construction activities around.
Notably, the viral photo show a farm at the far end, which is inconsistent with aerial and satellite images of State House, Nairobi. The images revealed that there was no farm bordering the President's official residence.
Brian Muuo, a Digital Forensic Expert further analysed the viral photo and traced its origin.
He established that the photo was first posted by Maskani Kenya which is a company specialising in selling precast concrete walls, slabs, fences, panels and houses.
Conclusion
While Kenyans.co.ke did not rule out a wall being constructed at the State House, the picture being circulated is fake.
Why State House?
On Wednesday, March 8, police mounted roadblocks on all roads leading to State House in Nairobi after Azimio leader Raila Odinga's ultimatum to President William Ruto elapsed.
Odinga threatened to lead his supporters in a march to State House, to protest the high cost of living but moved the mass action to Monday, March 20.
Addressing a political rally on Tuesday, March 14, in Siaya County, Odinga declared Monday a public holiday to allow his supporters join the countrywide protests.
State House is a protected area and the country's most guarded facility, with elite squads keeping watch of the President's residence. Uncleared access to the facility is prohibited.
