Standard News Busted For Spreading Fake News

The credibility of Kenyan multi-media house, Standard Group Limited, has once again been put to test after their digital department was busted for spreading fake news.

For the better part of Thursday, 10th March 2022, netizens took turns to correct a misleading clip published by their online team which purported to show police arresting “nduthi” riders in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu county.

“Boda Boda crackdown in Eldoret intensifies as police engage in running battles with riders,” they captioned the Twitter video.

But as it later came to light, unlike reported by Standard Digital News, the shared footage was actually not from the Rift Valley.

On the contrary, it was captured in Kayole, within the outskirts of Nairobi County.

“This is Spine Road, Kayole, around The Komarock School. Si atleast mverify vitu before posting,” one disappointed social media user wrote.

Overwhelmed by huge shame for perpetrating such an embarrassingly juvenile mistake, Standard’s Twitter admin succumbed to pressure and eventually deleted the tweet.

This controversial incident comes just a day after police intensified a nationwide crackdown on bodaboda riders following the sexual assault of a female motorist in the city.

On Tuesday, over 100 motorcycle operators were arraigned at the Milimani law court and charged with riding causing obstruction.

They all pleaded guilty to the offence and were fined between Sh30,000 and Sh35,000 each or serve four months in jail.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said that he had managed to forensically identify the mastermind in the assault incident and traced him to his hideout in Nairobi’s Mukuru Kaiyaba slums.

Comments