Fact-check: RwandAir isn’t offering government transport subsidies

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RwandAir is not giving transport subsidies to citizens. This claim was made to trick unsuspecting internet users and take their sensitive information.

Writer: Nancy Ceasar

A message was forwarded to many  WhatsApp groups and private chats claiming to be Rwanda’s government transport subsidy, giving gifts to their lucky winners with an award of “$1,000,00” after answering some questions.

This is the screenshot of the process shown after answering the questionnaire provided by the link

Then after opening the box, it takes it to another unrelated site, making it suspicious. 

The picture on the congratulatory message was used by the Facebook page Rwanda, the heart of Africa, with the caption, “The national carrier, Rwanda, has been named among the most improved airlines in the world. Kigali international airport has also recorded the best-ever passenger traffic #I love Rwanda. Rwanda is a small country with a big dream,” on December 10th 2018.

Investigation:

211 Check carried out an examination of the URL using Virustotal, an online tool used to detect malware and other suspicious software. It detected the URL as being a phishing link. Phishing links are links created to promote scams or fraudulent activities, and by clicking on them, one’s information can be stolen and used for selfish reasons or to misuse information for personal gain.

The official website for RwandAir is: https://www.rwandair.com/ 

In addition, a Google Lens search shows that Pulse used the picture live.co.ke with the caption, “Here is how many passengers the top 10 African airlines managed to airlift in 2018.”

A screenshot of when Pulse first used the image 

Rwanda Airlines began operating on December 1, 2002, as a new national carrier under the name RwandAir Express [passenger air transportation is the core activity]. Rwanda, with concession, is carrying out airport ground handling ancillary activity at Kigali International Airport.

In March 2009, it was registered with a new trademark, RwandAir, the current operating name. The Rwandan government introduced a 29.3 billion Rwandan franc subsidy to ease the burden on pressed public transport service providers. Information provided by ODA indicates that the government has allocated a subsidy of 29.3 billion Rwandan Francs in the 2021 financial year as a relief payment to hard-pressed public transport operators. Under the now extended covid 19 regulations, Rwandan public transport operators are requested to reduce their load factors to 50% of carrying capacity.

Previously, the same claim had surfaced on the internet and was fact-checked by PesaCheck, as seen in this link.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds that the circular in WhatsApp groups claiming that the government of Rwanda will issue transportation subsidies and every citizen can get them is false. This is a phishing scam where some individuals collect internet users’ details and use them for their interests or sell them to a third party. The general public should be cautious when dealing with information online. Some information is too good to be true, and verification is needed before trusting any link shared on social media.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

Fighting misinformation and disinformation in the media is crucial to avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives. Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter

Fact-check: This picture isn’t of a South Sudanese man with his two wives

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The picture has been on the internet since 2020. It is of a Ghanaian man posing with his two wives.

Writer: Rajab Mayol

A photo of a man with two ladies was shared on Facebook, allegedly a South Sudanese man named ‘Solomon Wani’ with two wives is false.

“Congratulations to Solomon Wani for becoming the first Junubi Man to marry Two wives in 2 days. Speaking to Top in South Sudan, Solomon said he plans to Marry at least 12 wives before Christmas,” said Top in South Sudan in their post.

This is the screenshot of the post shared by Top in South Sudan on Facebook

Investigation

A Google reverse image search using google lens on the picture showed that the picture in the post had been uploaded to Facebook since August 2020 and by multiple Facebook pages. In the photo, a Ghanaian man poses with his two wives.  

Conclusion 

211 Check has found the claim that a photo allegedly showing a man “Solomon Wani” with two wives from South Sudan is false. 

The photo is of a Ghanaian man posing with his two wives and has been on the internet since at least August 2020.

This fact check has been published by 211 Check as part of an assignment submission for the Empowering Fact-checking in South Sudan (EFiSS) Training.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives. Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

Fact-check: Are these photos of Sudanese military general Col. Ibrahim Shemseddin?

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No, the men in the photos are Omar Zain al-Abdin, former Head of the Sudanese military council’s political committee in uniform, and Lomoni Lewan whose photo was taken in the Turkana region of Kenya.

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A tweet with images claiming to show Sudanese military general Colonel Ibrahim Shemseddin in a malnourished state in detention is false.

One of the images is supposedly of the general in military attire, and two others are of him in detention by former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s regime. 

“Politics and its cruelty: “The person you see in the picture below is called Colonel Ibrahim Shemsedin. The man was Sudan’s most powerful Security Chief, locked up in underground detention by President al-Bashir’s regime”, reads the August 2, 2023 tweet. 

Screenshot of the tweet

The claim depicts a political turnaround and portrays that the military Colonel was once powerful but ended up in prison under former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir.

Investigation

However, a Google reverse image search established that the photos presented in the claim are of two different individuals.

The man in the military attire is Omar Zain al-Abdin, former Head of the Sudanese military council’s political committee. The photo was taken while he was addressing a press conference in 2019 after the overthrow of President al- Bashir from power.

On the other hand, the elderly, malnourished man is Lomoni Lewan. His photo was taken in the Turkana region of Kenya by BBC correspondent Ronclife Odit, who tweeted about it the same year, according to the France 24 website.

Lewan’s photo has also been used in the past claiming to show a political prisoner detained in an underground tunnel since 1995 in the Sudanese city of Omduman. However, it was fact-checked by AFP and found to be false.

According to United Press International’s (UPI) article, Col. Ibrahim Shamseddine, Sudan’s former deputy minister of defence, died in a plane crash in 2001 alongside other senior military officers during an inspection visit to Malakal.

Real photos of Colonel Ibrahim Shamssedine, source: France 24 

Conclusion:

The photos in the claim are not of Col. Ibrahim Shamseddine. The men in the photos are Omar Zain al-Abdin, former Head of the Sudanese military council’s political committee in uniform, and Lomoni Lewan whose photo was taken in the Turkana region of Kenya.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s important to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives. Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

HOAX: This website offering free 50GB data to celebrate WhatsApp’s 10th anniversary is a scam

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The website is fake since WhatsApp’s 10th anniversary was celebrated in 2019

Writer: PesaCheck

This website submitted for fact-checking via PesaCheck’s WhatsApp Tipline, supposedly offering WhatsApp users 50GB of data as part of the company’s 10th anniversary, is a HOAX.

To get the purported data, participants are required to provide their phone numbers and share the link with 12 friends or in WhatsApp groups.

The website has several red flags, among them a suspicious URL, a request for personal details (phone number), and the requirement for users to share the link before receiving data. The red flags prompted us to investigate the website.

Despite PesaCheck following all the steps outlined in the alleged promotion, we did not receive the promised free data. In the final stage, the verification tab was unresponsive and repeatedly redirected us to unrelated web pages.

Additionally, we performed a Whois search and established that the website was registered on 29 January 2023, while the authentic WhatsApp website, Whatsapp.com, was registered in September 2008.

Legitimate sites are usually older than hoax sites. Bogus sites also tend to have concealed registrant details.

From left to right: a WHOIS search for the imposter vs that of the legitimate WhatsApp site.

The website claims that the free data is in celebration of WhatsApp’s 10th anniversary. However, the instant messaging application was founded in 2009 and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019.

On WhatsApp’s verified Twitter account and Facebook page, there’s no information on any such promotion.

PesaCheck examined a website submitted for fact-checking via PesaCheck’s WhatsApp Tipline, supposedly offering WhatsApp users 50GB of data as part of the company’s 10th anniversary celebration and found it to be a HOAX.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s important to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives. Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

ALTERED: This image purportedly of Bill Gates under armed watch by US Federal marshals is manipulated

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The photo is from an old #DeathPenaltyFail campaign video.

Writer: PesaCheck

This image on a Facebook post purportedly of Bill Gates under armed watch by US Federal marshals at Guantanamo Bay is ALTERED.

The billionaire is strapped to a gurney, according to a claim attributed to The Washington Post.

The post reads: “Bill Gates Arrested by US Federal Marshals; Being Held Under Armed Watch at Guantanamo Bay; Charged With War Crimes Against Humanity. Washington Post.”

A keyword search on The Washington Post’s website shows the media house did not publish such an article on Gates. There is also no information on the alleged arrest from a credible source.

A reverse image search on TinEye established that the image is old and is not of Gates as claimed.

The original image is from a YouTube video available on World News Network (WN.com) dated 16 April 2019 with the title, “#DeathPenaltyFail A Lethal Injection”.

The video description reads: “This video contains images that some viewers may find offensive. A painstaking reconstruction of a real-time execution by lethal injection that highlights some of the very specific issues relating to the USA’s preferred execution method. Using CCTV footage, authentic set design and a script based on real life events, the reality of a lethal injection is heightened to uncomfortable levels.*”

The video is part of the #DeathPenaltyFail campaign pushing for the repeal of the death penalty in the US. It appears on the campaign’s website and was first uploaded on 25 August 2016 on their YouTube channel.

A closer look at the image in the claim alongside the original one shows similarities that indicate Gate’s face was photoshopped into the latter, and a blue filter was added to the image in the claim to make it look different from the original.

From left to right: Image in the claim versus original image

PesaCheck has looked into a Facebook post with an image purportedly of Bill Gates held under armed watch by US Federal marshals at Guantanamo Bay and finds it to be ALTERED.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s important to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives. Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.

Fact-check: Is UNHCR running this poverty alleviation programme?

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No, the message circulating online is a hoax.

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A widely circulated WhatsApp message claiming that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is running a poverty alleviation programme of up to KSh 107,736 thousand is a hoax.

Screenshot of the forwarded message.

On clicking the forwarded link, the site claims that the UN refugee agency has a government poverty alleviation subsidy and users are directed to a questionnaire that asks whether one knows UNHCR, the person’s age, one’s opinion about UNHCR, and the person’s gender.

The screenshot of the questionnaire

After answering the four questions, it directs one to randomly choose one of the six boxes to win the prize. 

The screenshots of the claim web pages

After that, it states that one needs to share with five groups or 20 friends on WhatsApp in order to inform them about the promotion, and it requires an address to complete the registration before the gift is to be delivered within 5-7 days.

211 Check Investigation

A keyword search using “UNHCR government poverty alleviation subsidy” returned no such programme or subsidy. 

However, there is a related refugee agency’s poverty alleviation coalition “for economic inclusion” in partnership with the World Bank and other 13 non-government organisations. 

The search result on Google also returned that the same claim was widely shared among WhatsApp users in Uganda in July 2023, which PesaCheck debunked as a hoax.

On further investigation, we found that the site’s Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link in the claim is flagged as dangerous and suspicious by Web Paranoid, a cyber security tool for checking the authenticity of the website. It also established that there is no link from the claim’s URL to any social media account or page, and the website was created less than half a year ago.

A Virustotal analysis of the claim’s URL also categorised it as malicious, malware, suspicious, and phishing. 

The advert’s url also uses an outdated protocol which is not secured and supported on some devices.

A Whois domain search of the site’s URL shows that the domain name, which is different from the UNHCR’s domain, was registered in March 2023 and expires next year in March 2024.

The screenshot shot of the claim link’s domain data

Meanwhile, the WHOIS information on the UNHCR’s global website shows that its domain was registered in May 1997, and expires in May 2024.

The screenshot of the UNHCR WhoIs data

The website domain name fortunecash.click is also not consistent with the URLs of official organisations or institutions which usually have ‘.org’ in their URLS as is the case with the authentic UNHCR website. 

It is clear that the domain does not match that of the legitimate UNHCR website, and there is no advertisement of such kind on its website including social media accounts.

Conclusion:

The site appears to have impersonated UNHCR’s poverty alleviation coalition program that seeks to empower refugees and host communities around the world to overcome poverty.

However, the claim that UNHCR is running a government poverty alleviation subsidy is a hoax designed as a phishing scam to lure people to provide their personal information.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s important to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives. Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter

Fact-check: Was this picture of a man holding a gun taken in Bugolobi, Kampala?

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No, the photo shows Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama. It was taken during anti-government demonstrations in Kenya, where demonstrators attacked his hotel.

Writer: Jibi Moses

A picture of a man holding a pistol accompanying a story by the Ugandan website The Ankole Times, with the headline “Gun Drama Unfolds in Bugolobi Market, Private Security Guard Unleashes Mayhem,” is false. 

The photo shows the man holding a pistol on a deserted road, with a few bodaboda men and journalists taking pictures. It also shows shopping arcades (stores) that were closed and a road that was clearly marked.

“In the not-so-bustling market of Bugolobi, a surprising turn of events unfolded when a private security guard, Aijuka Rode, decided to play cop in a local drinks and merchandise shop. Unfortunately, his aim wasn’t as impressive as his delusions of grandeur. A female shopkeeper, Mutesi Zainabu, found herself caught in the crossfire of an alleged altercation with our wannabe Rambo. Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed the less-than-heroic incident…,” partially reads the article published on July 29, 2023.

A screenshot of the article by The Ankole Times.

211Check Investigation:

An internet search of the keywords “A guard shoots people at Bugolobi market” returns many results confirming the incident as reported by the following media houses, here, here, here, and here.

The news reports by the media established the identities of the guard as Arode Aijuka and the victim of the shooting as Zainabu Mutesi. The incident also reportedly took place at night, raising doubts about the image used by The Ankole Times. 

A Reverse Image Search of the picture shows that the image has been used on earlier dates by different users, including the Ankole Times, this time with a headline on demonstrations in Kenya. The article makes reference to a Kenyan MP brandishing a firearm at protesters.  

Consequently, a keyword search using ‘MP Holds a Gun in Kenya in 2023’ produced many results showing that the man in the photo is Nakuru West Member of Parliament Samuel Arama.

The MP reportedly drew his gun when a group of demonstrators allegedly vandalised his hotel during anti-government protests on July 19, 2023. The incident was widely reported, as seen here, here, here, and here. 

In a news report by Kenyans.co.ke, the MP is quoted as having said: “We are all Kenyans; we also voted for Raila, but he lost to William Ruto. Why should these people destroying property not get shot?”

A screenshot of  part of the publication in Kenyan.co.ke paper

Conclusion.

211 Check finds the picture used by the Ankole Times purportedly showing a guard who shot a woman in Bugolobi as false and misleading. In the picture is Nakuru West Constituency MP Samuel Arama, The image was taken during the demonstrations in Kenya, where demonstrators allegedly vandalised his hotel.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives. Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter 

Explainer: Is the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages harmful to human health?

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Writer:  Ochaya Jackson

A video shared on Facebook on December 15th, 2022, and still making the rounds on social media, claims that Coca-Cola, which is one of the sugar-sweetened beverages, is not fit for the human body.

The three-minute video shows a Coca-Cola drink being poured into a saucepan and is accompanied by text that reads: “I will never buy Coca-Cola again. I discovered the secret.”

The screenshot of the heating stove while Coca-Cola drink is being poured

The video features a female voice narration demonstrating the effects of heating Coca-Cola on a hot stove in a saucepan. The narrator warns people not to drink Coca-Cola while raising questions about its chemical composition. 

The video alleges that Coca-Cola contains sugar and other harmful chemicals for the body. However, it does not specify the exact nature of these chemicals in Coca-Cola drinks.

“Don’t take this. Do you know that you are in danger by taking it? I’m going to show you now why you can not take it. Look now, I’m going to put about two bottles in a pot, and I will show you the danger you are running. People often do not know what they are taking. What is really the composition of Coca-cola? This drink has its chemistry. It is not really good for [the] human body. When you take it you feel your blood pressure rise,” the female’s voice explanation about the Coca-Cola drink on the video claimed. Four people die of diabetes. It is something very dangerous. The whole world knows that the sugar level is very high. It does more damage to your health,” the narrator claims.  

Additionally, the video suggests Kappa Tea as a healthier alternative, emphasising that it is produced ‘without sugar’.

Coca-Cola falls under sugar-sweetened/carbonated beverages, along with other sodas with added sugar.

Investigation:

211 Check researched on Coca-Cola drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages, using publicly available data or literature on beverage drinks; and it gathered that excessive consumption of such drinks is unhealthy for the human body.

A study published in 2015 by the U.S.-based National Institute of Health, estimated that 184,000 people globally died due to sugary drink consumption. 

“Worldwide, the model estimated 184,000 deaths/year attributable to Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB) consumption: 133,000 (126,000–139,000) from diabetes, 45,000 (26,000–61,000) from cardiovascular diseases, and 6,450 (4,300–8,600) from cancers. 5.0% of SSB-related deaths occurred in low-income, 70.9% in middle-income, and 24.1% in high-income countries,” indicates the study. 

Similarly, a 2016 study on rats examined the effects of Coca-Cola consumption on rodents and found that those who consumed the beverage developed kidney and liver malfunctions compared to rats that did not drink it. Notably, the study emphasized the need for further research to confirm whether these effects extend to humans.

Likewise, in 2018, the National Institute of Health published a literature review detailing the impact of sugary drinks on the brain. The review revealed that sugar-sweetened beverages increase the risk of stroke and dementia due to the compounds and chemicals they contain.

According to Medical News Today, regular consumption of sugary drinks can increase blood sugar levels and affect the brain’s pleasure centres in a manner similar to heroin. There is also a confirmed link between sugary drinks and diabetes and their adverse effects on kidney and liver activity.

However, the report suggests that moderate consumption of Coca-Cola and sugar-sweetened beverages has only a minimal impact on human health.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Australia, in one of its advisories, acknowledges that many of its beverages contain sugar and that moderate consumption is considered healthy. Nevertheless, excessive consumption is not advisable for human health.

“Many of our beverages contain sugar, which has kilojoules. While sugar is fine in moderation, too much of it isn’t good for anyone. Consuming too many kilojoules, including soft drinks with sugar, can contribute to weight gain,” it said on its website.

Further, Coca-Cola recommends a maximum of 150 milligrams per day, which, according to Mathaauditor and Flightpedia, equals 0.15 millitters. 

Fact-sheet

In 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) updated its guidelines on free sugar intake, recommending less than 10% of total daily energy consumption for adults and children. It further conditionally suggested reducing free sugar intake to less than 5%, equivalent to 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day, for better health.

Free sugars include those added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juice concentrates. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around ten teaspoons) of free sugar, according to the WHO.

According to a 2022 report by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay, cavities, gout, and arthritis. To maintain a healthy weight and dietary pattern, individuals are advised to limit their intake of sugary drinks.

Conclusion:

Research shows that excessive consumption of Coca-Cola or other sugar-sweetened beverages may harm human health, and moderate consumption is therefore advisable.

To maintain good health and a healthy weight, individuals should consume these drinks moderately to reduce the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular issues, kidney disease, heart disease, liver disease, obesity, and related illnesses.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter 

Fact-check: A tornadic incident didn’t happen on Lake Victoria in July 2023

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No, this video was taken on Lake Bunyonyi in January 2019 during an occurrence called waterspout.

Writer: Jibi Moses

A video circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook showing a water body flashing water in the air, claimed to have taken place on Lake Victoria in July 2023, is false. 

The video shows people taking pictures and recordings, shouting, and ululating.  Some of the voices are heard crying in English…. “We are going to die,…… if we keep quiet it will come, it will continue…”

 The video accompanies the text: “This happened in Lake Victoria yesterday. What could it be?”

A screenshot of the video with a few follow-up comments. 

The follow-up comments on the video shared raised suspicion and prompted an investigation. 

Investigation:

211 Check ran a Google Lens Search on the video, bringing in multiple results, with videos and pictures of the same scene dating back to 2019.

According to various sites, the incident happened on Lake Bunyonyi and was termed a tornado.

In one report dated January 22, 2019, by the Monitor, a mainstream Ugandan newspaper, the incident was reported as ‘Panic as tornado hits Lake Bunyonyi.’

The story narrated how residents witnessed an unfamiliar occurrence on the lake during a rainy evening. This caused panic among residents as it was happening for the first time in the area. 

 “Mr. Didas Kyarikora, alias Swansea, another resident of Mugyera in Bufundi Sub County, Rubanda District, said that although he saw a cloud of white smoke, he could not figure out what it was. However, he added that an elder informed him that it was a tornado hitting the lake,” reads part of  the article. 

A screenshot of the article from the Monitor publication

Other sources that gazetted this moment are shown here and here.

The Uganda Media Centre, the agency facilitating communication of government policies, programmes, and projects to the public through the media, also reported the incident on Twitter but differed in how they explained it. According to them, the occurrence is called a waterspout.  

Upon tracing the difference between the two, this is what we discovered: to start with, they are both columns of rotating air. The main difference is in where they form. A tornado begins over land, while a tornadic waterspout develops over water or moves from the land to the water. There are also other types of waterspouts.

Waterspout formation typically occurs when cold air moves across the Great Lakes, resulting in large temperature differences between the warm water and the overriding cold air.

Marine Insight, a publication about nature, has this to say:

   “……Waterspouts can occur at any place all over the coastal regions of the world. There is no particular place, as per scientific explanation, where they are more likely to happen. However, despite that fact, some regions worldwide witness waterspouts more often than others. The Florida Keys, Cienfuegos Bay in Cuba, and the waters of the Great Lakes are the most common places where waterspouts have been spotted.”

Conclusion:

The claim that a tornado happened in July 2023 on Lake Victoria is false. The incident, a waterspout, happened on Lake Bunyonyi in Southwestern Uganda, bordering Rwanda, in 2019. The phenomenon is an intense columnar vortex that occurs over a body of water.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter 

Fact-check: No evidence low sugar intake, hot lemon juice and organic coconut oil can cure cancer

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There is no scientific evidence that supports the claim. 

Writer: Beatrice Amude Paulino 

A message circulating on WhatsApp claims that a ‘Dr. Gupta’ says: “No one should die of cancer except due to carelessness.”

The message also lists some steps to back up the statement: The first step is to stop all sugar intake; without sugar in your body, cancer cells can die naturally. The second step is to drink hot lemon juice for three months before eating food, and the third step is to drink three tablespoons of coconut oil morning and night.

The claim, which has also been shared here on Facebook,  adds that the steps will eliminate cancer cells in the body.

Screenshot of the claims as shared on WhatsApp (2).

No, stopping sugar intake cannot kill cancer:

211 Check investigated the claim and discovered that, according to the US National Cancer Institute, cancer cells usually multiply quickly, which takes a lot of energy. The primary energy source in our bodies is glucose, which comes from sugar. Cancer cells also need lots of nutrients such as fats and amino acids. 

“Cancer cells, like all cells, require nourishment to flourish. Sugar is a significant fuel source but is far from the only one cancer needs,” says Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), a US-based research institute.

Can drinking hot lemon juice for three months cure cancer?

In the second step, the claim stated that hot lemon juice for three months could cure cancer.

Cancer Research UK, a registered charity that provides cancer information to the public, says that lemons contain properties like pectin, which, when modified, is an alternative therapy. 

Still, according to the National Center for Health Research, lemons are not proven or considered a remedy for fighting any type of cancer. No studies have been done to compare the effectiveness of lemon juice to chemotherapy. 

Can taking three tablespoons of organic coconut oil morning and night cure cancer?

The third step claims that taking three tablespoons of organic coconut oil morning and night will make the cancer ‘disappear’. The claim doesn’t specify how long this should be done.

The Harvard School of Public Health says that although coconut oil has many health benefits, they are tied to oil with a special formulation made of 100% medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which is not available in coconut oil usually found in commercial stores. Also, coconut oil mainly contains lauric acid, which is not an MCT but has been found to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells. However, it is not established as a cure. 

Furthermore, the  World Health Organization(WHO) fact sheet has not mentioned any scientific proof supporting lemon, a sugar-free diet, or organic coconut oil curing cancer.

211 Check also found debunks by Africa Check, Full Fact, and Factly, which disputed the claims and the doctor.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the claim that hot lemon water, sugar-free diets, and organic coconut oil can cure cancer unproven. The claim is a long-running social media hoax, and no scientific data or studies have shown that lemon, a sugar-free diet, and organic coconut oil can cure cancer.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact-Checking Alliance.

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