The recently inaugurated Kabunde Airstrip, located in Homa Bay County, has unfortunately become a subject of inaccurate and deceptive reports. These reports have ranged from misleading accounts of planes landing on dusty fields to false claims of airplane crashes.
In one of the recent cases, an airline company, on Monday, June 26, distanced itself from reports alleging that its plane was involved in an accident at the airfield.
While fact-checking a widely shared photo, the air company involved clarified that the depicted accident actually took place in the Caribbean and not in Kenya as alleged.
Considering the event occurred in the past, the airline accused fake news propagators of deliberately using the photo to mislead the public.
“We would like to clarify that the information of our plane hitting a cow at Kabunde Airstrip is completely false and misleading.
“The images circulating is of an incident involving an ATR72-600 in Trinidad and Tobago,” a statement from the company read in part.
In their efforts to counter the false and misleading report, the airline took the opportunity to highlight its reputation as a trustworthy and customer-centric company committed to providing exceptional service and transparent communication.
“Kabunde Airstrip is safe and secure, and we look forward to welcoming you aboard our aircraft,” the airline assured.
The photo purported to be taken from Kabunde Airstrip also irked the political brass in Homa Bay County, prompting officials to clarify the matter.
Led by Governor Gladys Wanga, the politicians reassured residents of the larger Nyanza region that the airstrip was secure and safe.
On Saturday, June 17, a few days after reopening, a photo depicting a plane landing on a dusty runway, purpoted to be Kabunde Airstrip was shared widely on social media with the intention of trolling the airstrip.
After being subjected to scrutiny, the photo was identified as misleading, and its origin was traced back to an incident involving a Douglas DC-6 aircraft landing on a makeshift airstrip in Pretoria, South Africa. The connection between the image and Kabunde Airstrip in Kenya was proven to be false.
Commenting on the matter, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen beseeched Kenyans to desist from sharing misleading photos.
