Fact check: Is this a picture of a road washed by rain in South Sudan?

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No, the road that was flashed off by flooding was a road between Garissa and Modogashe in Kenya.

Writer: Nancy Ceasar

A Facebook post with a picture of a road halfway washed by rain, purportedly in South Sudan, is false.

The post was shared on November 7, 2023, with a catchy headline, “Chinese-SPLM-IG fake contract. Imagine only one rain.” It attracted comments with differing opinions that prompted 211 Check to investigate. The same pictures were also shared by a different user here.

It should be noted that Chinese companies were contracted to build some South Sudanese highways connecting Juba to the state capitals. 

Here is a screenshot of the post on Facebook.

Claim Verification:

211 Check carried out a Google Search using Google Lens on the picture, and it returned several results as a newly constructed road between Garissa and Modogashe by a Chinese contractor.

Omwamba posted this picture on his X handle on November 6, 2023, titled “The rain has eaten the recently constructed road between Garissa and Modogashe by a Chinese contractor!” 

A screenshot of the post from Omwamba X Handle

Similarly, Nykundi shared this post on his X handle on November 6, 2023: “Recently constructed road between Garissa and Modogashe by a Chinese contractor.”

A screenshot of the post from Cyprian X’s handle

And later, the post was shared by Rodie on X Handle.

Garissa is a town in East Central Kenya. The town is a market centre situated on the Tana River, and its industries process food, beverages, and tobacco products, among others. The news of the road being destroyed by the rain was shared on these sites here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Latest South Sudan Weather

It should be noted that in the last few days, Juba and most parts of the country have been receiving a little bit more rain than expected generally in November, and this has caused some flash floods, as seen in some local news outlets. 1, 2, and 3.

Conclusion: 

211 Check finds the claim that a picture of a half-washed away road allegedly in South Sudan and, therefore, constructed under a contract between SPLM-IG and the Chinese, false; the road that was flashed off by flooding was a road between Garissa and Modogashe in Kenya.

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