Tag Archive for: #FactsMatter

Fact-check: Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba didn’t advertise these positions

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This job ad is a scam. Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba did not advertise any job position.

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A Facebook page peddling a job advertisement purportedly from Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba is a scam.

The page, which was seemingly created on 17 November 2023, claimed in a Facebook post that the hotel needs more staff in various departments. The post cited the festive season as the reason for the need for more workers, given the increase in the number of both local and international visitors. 

“WE ARE HIRING! We, urgently need staffs in various departments in our hotel. This has been brought by higher number of visitors from both local and foreign visitations during this festive season. As the managing committee, we came into an agreement to recruit more human resource to help in maintaining the smooth operations of the hotel. The interested candidates to apply via the link online sic),” reads the advertisement. 

The screenshot of the fraudulent Facebook page advertisement

The scam job advertisement also attached a Google form for applicants to use to apply for job positions. 

The screenshot of the Google form.

Claim Verification:

211 Check reviewed the Facebook page, which shared the advertisement critically, and it appeared that the page was created on 17 November 2023, given its profile picture update at 6:35 am. The page had one follower at the time we reviewed it.  

Meanwhile, the authentic Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba’s Facebook page was created in 2017 and has 16,000 likes and 18,000 followers. It has the hotel’s official contact information and the location address, and its reviews date back to 2017. A page review also shows that the hotel did not post such job offers.

Further, the official Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba Facebook page linked on the Hotel’s official website, flagged off the job advertisement as fake and cautioned the public against scammers. 

“Kindly note that someone has created a fake Facebook account with our Facebook page name, giving out fake information about jobs adverts…please don’t be scammed! , it’s not our official account,” reads a statement from Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba, posted on its Facebook page.

This is not the first time a hotel job advertisement scam has appeared on social media platforms. In September 2023, a Facebook page impersonated the Radisson Blu Hotel Juba claiming a job offer on various positions, which 211 Check also debunked as a scam.

Conclusion:

The Facebook job advertisement claiming to be from Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba is a scam. Pyramid Continental Hotel Juba did not advertise for any jobs, and the hotel management termed the job advertisement as fake.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

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: Do these tablets contain phenylpropanolamine, as claimed?

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No, the tablets mentioned do not contain PPA. It is a compound that was banned years ago.

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A widely forwarded WhatsApp message warning people about different tablets because they contain ‘Phenyl Propanol-Amide, PPA’, which supposedly causes strokes, is false.

“Avoid these tablets; they are very dangerous: D-cold, Vicks Action-500, Actified, Coldarin, Cosome, Nice, Nimulid, and Cetrizet-D. They contain phenyl Propanol-Amide, PPA, which causes strokes and is banned in the USA,” reads the WhatsApp message.

“Please, before deleting, help your friends by passing it. It might help someone. Forward to as many as you can,” it added.

Screenshot of the WhatsApp message claim forwarded widely in the groups 

The same claim can also be traced to a post by a Facebook user in 2017.

Investigation and Research

A keyword search on Google using the words “Does D-cold contain Phenyl Propanol-Amide” returned many results that show the claim is an old issue that has been fact-checked before. The report also stated that “Phenyl Propanol-Amide, PPA” is not correct; instead, the compound is called “PhenylPropanolamine, PPA.” 

In addition to that, the search results returned a statement issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005 that ordered phenylpropanolamine, or PPA, to be removed from drug products and requested drug companies stop selling products with phenylpropanolamine. 

The FDA, further in the statement, recommended that consumers not use any drug containing PPA and urged them to read drug labels to see if the product has PPA instead of relying on outdated lists of products that may have already been reformulated and no longer contain PPA.

In the same search results, in 2017, the Ayup website published a report about the claim, which confirmed that PPA was no longer in the U.S. markets, citing the risk of stroke in younger women.

The composition of the claimed tablets

Several queries on the Google search engine for each of the claimed tablets found product information associated with the tablets.

According to Apollo Pharmacy – India, D-Cold is formulated to provide relief related to cold symptoms such as blocked noses, headaches, body pain, and sore throats, and its ingredients include paracetamol (500 mg), caffeine (32 mg), and phenylephrine (10 mg).

Vicks Action-500’s package composition includes paracetamol I.P. 500 mg, – Diphenhydramine HCl I.P. 25 mg, phenylephrine HCl I.P. 5 mg, and caffeine (anhydrous) I.P. 30 mg.

The Actifed tablet contains active ingredients called phenylephrine hydrochloride, and the cosome is mainly a combination of chlorpheniramine (antihistamine), phenylephrine (decongestant), and dextromethorphan (cough suppressant).

Both Nise and Nimulid are used to relieve pain and fever, and all of them contain Nimesulide. On the other hand, Cetrizet-D contains cetirizine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride.

211Check inquired via email to the Swiss Institute of Therapeutic Products if phenylpropanolamine is still being formulated in human medicine, but it said it has been banned for twenty years in Switzerland.

“Phenylpropanolamine has not been authorised in human medicinal products in Switzerland for twenty years,” the Swiss Institute of Therapeutic Products replied. 

Juba-based medical practitioner with Germany Leprosy and TB Relief Association (GLRA), East Africa regional office with operation in South Sudan, Case Thomas Nicholas, told 211 Check via messaging App that phenylpropanolamine was banned due to health risks, and the drugs listed in the claim have no evidence of containing it.

“Phenylpropanolamine is banned in most countries due to [the] increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke to people taking it. There is no evidence that the drugs you listed contain the substance since it’s no longer recommended for use,” said Thomas.

Conclusion

The claim about tablets that contain phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is an old issue being widely forwarded in WhatsApp groups. In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of phenylpropanolamine by drug or tablet manufacturing companies because of the risk of stroke in young women.

Further, according to the claimed tablets’ product information reviewed by 211 Check reviewed,  none of them contain phenylpropanolamine, or PPA.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

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: This photo showing pupils doing exams in an open space isn’t from Uganda

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The photo was taken in Yirol County of Lakes State, South Sudan.

Writer: Ochaya Jackson

A post shared on X (formerly Twitter) with a picture of learners doing exams in the open air supposedly taken in Uganda is false. 

“I have been made to understand that these are learners, and they are doing an exam here. Oh, Uganda! May God uphold thee, We lay our future in thy hand. United, free, for liberty together, we’ll always stand,” reads the post by the X user.  

The screenshot of the X post claims

The author of the post did not establish the name or location of the school but quoted part of the Ugandan national anthem. 

Similarly, in another post, the author whose bio suggests that they are a show host based in Western Uganda, also shared the image claiming he’d been informed that the learners in the photo were in ‘primary seven’ which is when candidates typically sit for exams as they finish their primary level in Uganda. 

A school in Uganda, Busede Seed Senior Secondary School, also shared the same photo here with a statement calling on African leaders to unite and address their problems.

Claim Verification:

211 Check ran a Google reverse image search on the photo claim, and it returned Facebook pages that had shared the photo before. Among them is a Facebook post by Holy Cross Comboni Primary School, Yirol, South Sudan which shared the photo in May 2022. 

The image features on the Facebook page as its cover photo. 

The formerly Juba-based television station, JBS, also shared on its Facebook page in April 2023 about pupils at Holy Cross Comboni Primary School in Yirol County of Lakes State in South Sudan when they were writing their exams using the same photo. 

Besides, 211 Check contacted Mr Malek Arol Dhieu, a former teacher at Holy Cross Comboni Primary School, for comment concerning the photo claim, to which he confirmed our findings. 

“Yes, I can confirm the photo was taken from Holy Cross Comboni Primary School in Yirol, but it is old. The building in the background of the photo is a classroom block for the primary one. The pupils were sitting for the exam outside because the class could not accommodate them all, and [also] to avoid exam malpractices,” said Malek.

Conclusion:

The photo showing pupils sitting for exams in an open school compound was taken in South Sudan, not Uganda, as the claim referenced. Holy Cross Comboni Primary School is in Yirol, Lakes State.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

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: This video of a leaking roof isn’t at Entebbe International Airport, Uganda 

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The video is of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

Writer: Jibi Moses

A video making rounds on social media, claiming to show a leaking roof at Entebbe International Airport, is misleading.

The video, which was shared on TikTok (archived here) on November 16, 2023, among other platforms, had a voice from the background and words inscribed on it that said:  “Our Entebbe Airport this morning, when a country rots, everything goes with it.”

However, the comments from the post raised suspicion, as many people were disputing that this is not Entebbe International Airport but Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). This prompted 211 Check to investigate the video.

The screenshot of the claim as shown on TikTok

Claim Verification:

A keyword search of the words ‘A video of a leaking roof at Entebbe International Airport’ brought several results, all of which showed that the incident happened at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Some of the results were reported by Kenyan media outlets such as here and here, which, on November 16, 2023, said that the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority had put out a statement to clarify that the incident did not occur at Entebbe International Airport. 

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority made a statement on November 15, 2023, telling the public to ignore the trending video of an ‘unfortunate situation at an airport in a neighbouring country.’

Please ignore the trending video of an unfortunate situation at an airport in a neighbouring country, which some WhatsApp users have wrongly attributed to Entebbe International Airport. Note that this is not Entebbe International Airport; read the message on CAA’s X handle, which is accompanied by the same video.

On 14 November 2023, one of the leading Kenyan news outlets, Citizen TV, reported about the incident at the JKIA. The report also mentioned that Kenya’s Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, blamed the incident on the previous government, which allegedly did shoddy work on terminals 1C and 1E.

Many other sources reported the incident, as seen here, here, here, and here.

Has Entebbe International Airport ever had leaking roofs?

On September 6, 2023, the Daily Monitor published an article titled

Entebbe International Airport floods amid UPDF construction. The flooding was attributed to leaks from the upper floors of the terminal building, as the area was under ongoing expansion. 

A screenshot from the Daily Monitor’s publication

On November 17, 2023, Newsday, an online outlet, ran a story describing the situation at Entebbe Airport. The story’s headline was:  Seyani Brothers on the spot over leaking roof at Entebbe Airport

Videos making the rounds show one of the newly constructed passenger terminal buildings by the Seyani Brothers with water on the floor following torrential rains.

Seyani was contracted to work on the airport passenger terminal to the tune of Sh42b.

According to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, the landside expansion by M/s Seyani Brothers (U) Ltd. sought to provide more room and comfort for service users, especially passengers,” partly read the article written by Newsday.

Given the above articles, there have been past leakage/s at Entebbe International Airport, which seemingly made the JKIA incident believable to the Ugandan public. 

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the video making the rounds on social media, claimed to show a leaking roof at Entebbe International Airport, to be misleading. The video is of JKIA in Nairobi, Kenya. 

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

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: Is this picture related to the situation in Congo in 2023?

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No, although it was taken in Zaire, the image was captured in January 1994 and is of a Rwandese boy crying over his dead father. 

Writer: Jibi Moses 

An image circulating on WhatsApp depicting a boy appearing to cry while holding onto an individual lying on the ground, purportedly illustrating the situation in Congo in 2023, is misleading.

The picture, which was first spotted on WhatsApp as a screenshot, has been shared on other platforms, such as Instagram. 

Dear World…..African lives matter please make noice about Congo as you do in some parts of the world. Congo is currently going through genocide 

The screenshot of the image as shared on the WhatsApp group

It has also been shared here and here. 

Claim Verification:

211 Check carried out an image reverse search of the image on Yandex and found that the same image has been on social media before 2023.

The results show that Getty Images posted the image with the description indicating it was captured on January 1, 1994, and credited it to American photographer Peter Turnley.

Getty Images’ photo was titled: ‘Boy Crying over His Dead Father’s Body’

Screenshot of the part of the post as used by Getty Images 

 Screenshot of the details of the picture on Getty Images

The search results for the image on Bing.com also brought up several times the image had been used in the past, such as in 2006, 2011, and 2015. 

Additionally, the same picture was wrongly used by a Zimbabwean outlet but was fact-checked by Fact-CheckZw as not true. The fact-check also linked to a 2012 interview with Turnley, which used a different angle of the photo under investigation. 

Congo conflict 2023:

The DR Congo has been experiencing conflict, mainly in the eastern parts of the country, said to be perpetuated by armed groups. Despite the fact that there are ongoing conflicts in DR Congo orchestrated by militia groups, this picture is not an accurate representation of current events. 

Conclusion:

211 Check has found that the picture circulating online purporting to show the situation in the Congo is misleading. The picture was taken in 1994, when a boy was pictured crying over the dead body of his father.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

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: Is fenbendazole an approved cure for cancer?

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No, there’s insufficient evidence that fenbendazole can cure cancer.

Writer: Beatrice Amude Paulino

A message circulating in WhatsApp groups claiming that fenbendazole, a dog deworming medicine, can cure cancer in people is misleading. 

The message, in the form of a screenshot,  asks people to look up the ‘Joe Tippens Protocol’ to learn all about ‘Fenbenzadol /Pancur’. According to the message, Pancur kills almost every cancer and is made up of a drug called ‘fenbendazole (sic)’, which kills the cells. and explains that it is unlike the medication the National Health Service provides. 

It is accompanied by a message that says: “Please, my people, your cure for cancer has arrived.”

The claim was also posted here, based on the account of Joe Tippens, an American man who claimed he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, which later went into remission after he began taking fenbendazole on a veterinarian’s recommendation.

Screenshot of message from WhatsApp

Videos about the protocol have also been shared here, here, here and here.

Claim Verification:

According to research published in the AntiCancer Research Journal in 2013, “studies provided no evidence that fenbendazole warrants further testing as a potential agent for use in cancer therapy.” The study suggested that it was possible that related compounds could be valuable anticancer drugs. 

Additionally,  a study published by the American National Library of Medicine noted no evidence that fenbendazole would have value in cancer therapy but suggested further investigations. 

The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also warned against products claiming to cure cancer on websites or social media platforms. 

Further, Juba-based oncologist James Zabit Christopher told 211 Check via message that fenbendazole isn’t a proven anticancer therapy. “It is a broad spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic used against parasites including giardia, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. It is a dewormer for domestic animals,” he wrote in response to our query. 

Conclusion:

211 Check finds out that the claim circulating in WhatsApp groups claiming that fenbendazole, a dog deworming medicine, can cure cancer in people is scientifically unproven. 

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

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: Is WHO offering these jobs in South Sudan?

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No, the website claiming to be WHO’s recruitment portal is a scam. The World Health Organization publishes vacancies and manages candidate profiles using the Stellis platform.

Writer: Makur Majeng

A WhatsApp message with a link to this website claiming to be the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recruitment portal is a hoax.

A screenshot of the WhatsApp message with a website link  that claims to be giving jobs 

The website features the United Nations agency’s branding and a form for prospective job seekers to fill out. The form collects an applicant’s essential information, such as name, gender, email, phone number, and country of residence.

A screenshot of the next interface of the website

The interface where they ask for the applicant’s details in the form.

After clicking the “Apply Now” button, a new page opens and supposedly displays the count of submitted applications. Job seekers are then prompted to “validate their name to proceed to the next step.”

“Note! The number of applicants is limited,” the message on the page reads.

Below the message are alleged testimonials from people who have already applied. 

On clicking the “Continue” button, a new page opens on which job seekers are prompted to provide their name and current level of education. “Send” is the next button, and upon clicking it, a new page opens congratulating the applicant for qualifying to work at the WHO.

However, the portal fails to specify the type of job the applicant is applying for. Nonetheless, the page instructs users to share the information with five groups or 15 friends on WhatsApp to access the WHO “Staff Form.”

The last stage where the form asks the applicant to share in five groups or 15 friends.

Following this step, users are informed that their application was successful, and they are promised a confirmation email.

Upon clicking prompts for application status, printing a PDF, or submitting, users are taken to a different phishing website.

Claim Verification:

A Google keyword search using the “WHO recruitment application portal” yielded no credible results or official announcements related to such recruitment.

The purported job offers and their nature resemble phishing scams, hence 211 Check’s decision to investigate the website’s authenticity. Phishing scams collect personal information under the guise of offering rewards or benefits.

Scammers use similar tactics for fraud, enticing users to bogus websites with promises of rewards. Victims are also urged to share the offers.

Notably, there is no information about the recruitment we are fact-checking on the WHO website, its verified Facebook page, Twitter, or Instagram accounts.

The website we are fact-checking has the domain name abancy.com, which is not the legitimate domain of WHO (who. int).

The WHOIS information for the purported recruitment site shows that it was registered on August 28, 2023, in Great Britain – UK (abbreviated as GB).

The whois details of the abancy.com form

A similar WHOIS search of the official WHO website yielded no results. WHO states on its website that it uses a platform called Stellis to publish vacancies and manage candidate profiles.

The URL provided in the WhatsApp message is flagged as phishing, malicious, and malware by VirusTotal, an online tool that assesses suspicious websites.

The UN agency explicitly cautions job seekers against falling victim to scammers and emphasises that it does not engage in lotteries or provide prizes or awards through any digital medium.

“Should you wish to receive job alerts from Stellis, please register through the profile access links as a user/login. Once you’re logged into the system, go to your profile and then to Preferences to activate a job alert and save your job search criteria. You will then receive email alerts when jobs matching your criteria are published,” a message on the WHO website reads.

The official site for the WHO job site

Conclusion:

211 Check has examined a website claiming to be the recruitment portal of the World Health Organisation (WHO), as shared through a WhatsApp message, and found it to be false, a scam, and a hoax.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

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: Were some parts of the Barl-el-Ghazal Road washed away during the November rains?

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No, the images used in this post were collected from different sources and at different times.

Writer: Jibi Moses 

These images shared on a Facebook post, archived here, claiming that rain washed away one of the lanes of the Juba-Bar el Ghazal Road in November 2023 are partly false.

Watchdog Press, a Facebook page, published the claim on November 8, 2023, where one of the photos had the image of a man. The post reads: “#Breaking #News: A heavy downpour yesterday washed away one of the lanes of the Juba-Bar-el- Ghazal highway. This is the second embarrassment of Gimcrack work following a two years incident where the same highway was destroyed by rain.”

The screenshot of the post made by Watchdog Press

The post attracted comments from Facebook users, some saying that the information was baseless, while others said the incident happened in Kenya, not South Sudan. 

This prompted us to conduct an investigation. 

Some of the comments from the public 

Claim verification

Image One:

211Check ran a Google Reverse Image Search on the first image, which returned the image as being of Mayiik Ayii Deng. 

Mayiik Ayii Deng is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as well as a former Minister of Presidential Affairs.

From the results, this particular image of Mayiik was seemingly first shared on August 25, 2020, by Juba TV in a post that claimed he had stolen COVID-19 money in Somalia.

A screenshot of the post on Juba TV in 2020

Image Two:

211 Check carried out reverse searches on the rundown road on different search engines, like Microsoft Bing and Yandex, but they did not return any results. The image seemingly does not have an internet footprint.

Image Three:

With this image, Google Lens reverse search returned results showing that the image was taken in Zambia.

The Zambia Times, on February 14, 2017, posted the picture with a headline: ‘The newly tarred Luangwa-Feira Road has been damaged by heavy rains.’ 

A screenshot of the post as published by Lusaka Times in 2017

Other sites that published similar stories with this image can also be seen here, here, here, and here.

The Great East Road:

Luangwa-Feira Road, also called The Great East Road, or T4 Highway, is a major Zambian highway linking the Eastern Province to the rest of the country and also the most important link between Zambia, Malawi, and northern Mozambique. The overall objectives of the Great East Road (T4) Rehabilitation Project are to reduce poverty and promote equitable economic growth and regional integration in Zambia. 

Juba Bar el Ghazal Road and rains:

In November 2023, Juba and most surrounding areas received a lot of rain, causing flash floods in some areas and seasonal streams. 

This caused speculations and claims that some parts of different roads under construction in South Sudan have been washed away seemingly because there were reports of the road being washed away in 2020.  The incident was reported here, here and here.

However, there hasn’t been a report of the same in November 2023. 

Conclusion:

211 Check has found the claim that some parts of the Barl-el-Ghazal road lane were washed away by the recent rains to be false, as the images used in this post were collected from different sources and at different times. One being from South Sudan, another from Zambia, and one that could not be traced online.  This claim, if not fact-checked, has the capacity to ruin the credibility of the road construction companies in South Sudan, as there are currently some projects being carried out. 

This fact check was published by 211 Check with technical support from Code for Africa’s  PesaCheck newsdesk through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).

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: 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.

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.

HOAX: UNICEF is not running this cash promotion in Kenya

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UNICEF Kenya has denounced the promotion.

Writer: PesaCheck

This Facebook post from an account purporting to have received cash from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Foundation is a HOAX.

The post, mostly in Swahili, loosely translates to: “I didn’t think this UNICEF foundation promotion was legitimate. I’m very happy to have received mine today, I’m grateful. I’m also informing my friends to enjoy it too. INBOX ME OR Text this number on WhatsApp (0712266650) starting with the word PROMOTION then follow the instructions given. Thank me later.”

It is accompanied by a screenshot of a text message purportedly from the mobile money service, M-PESA, showing that the user has received KSh85,000 from the UNICEF Foundation.

Similar posts have also been shared here and here.

A review of the account shows similar posts claiming to have received the same amount. Curiously, the funds all seem to have been received at 7:17 a.m. on 22 September 2023.

The posts, using an unofficial communication channel (WhatsApp), are poorly written and are likely online scams, as previously debunked by PesaCheck.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is tasked with safeguarding the rights of children and women in developing countries like Kenya.

Reviewing the official UNICEF Kenya website reveals its support for causes, including education, child protection, emergencies, health, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene. However, there is no indication of the promotion we are debunking.

Likewise, there is no mention of a ‘UNICEF Foundation’ cash promotion on the agency’s Kenya’s Facebook page and X (formerly Twitter) account, where they typically share updates.

PesaCheck also reached out to Dan Oloo, a communication specialist at UNICEF Kenya, who denounced the promotion.

“All announcements, advertisements and other official communication is done only via verified UNICEF digital channels as below: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UNICEFKenya/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/UNICEFKenya), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/unicef_kenya/) and web: (http://www.unicef.org/kenya),” wrote Oloo in response to our query.

Oloo also cautioned against posts from unverified UNICEF Kenya accounts.

PesaCheck has looked into a Facebook post from an account purporting to have received cash from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) foundation and found it to be a HOAX.

This post is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.