The X account that posted the screenshot does not belong to the Kenyan electricity distribution company.
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This screenshot on X (formerly Twitter) purporting to show a post by Kenya Power telling off customers is FAKE.
“Kasikieni Vibaya na ukooo [Go and feel bad elsewhere],” the screenshot, which was also shared here, here, and here, reads.
While the purported Kenya Power X account displays a blue verification mark, a thorough examination shows a significant cause for concern regarding its authenticity. Specifically, the account’s username is “@Trademark-»Kinara@DC,” which raises a red flag.
We searched for X using the handle and found an account with, to some extent, a similar name. The account posted the same screenshot we are fact-checking on 25 August 2023, with the caption: “Smallwigs tunaonanga dust [We who use smallwigs normally see dust]”.
A keyword search on X showed that Kenya Power has two official accounts. One is dedicated to customer care services, verified with the username “@KenyaPower_Care,” while the other handles corporate communication affairs with the username “@KenyaPower,” but it is not verified.
The verified Kenya Power X account has shared posts from the associated unverified account, as evident here, here, here, and here. Clicking on the X icon on Kenya Power’s official website directs you to the unverified Kenya Power X account. “@KenyaPower_Care” is the social media support account, while “@KenyaPower” is the corporate communications account.
An advanced search of the post we are debunking on the verified Kenya Power X account yielded negative results.
To further confirm the authenticity of the screenshot, we reached out to Kenya Power on their verified X account.
“Hello, please check keenly that is not our handle. @KenyaPower_Care is our official handle not [@Trademark…….],” Kenya Power responded to queries from this fact-checker.
It’s important to highlight the existence of numerous free online fake post generators capable of producing compelling posts. These tools have exacerbated the spread of misinformation online. PesaCheck has previously debunked such fabricated tweets, as demonstrated here.
PesaCheck has looked into a screenshot, supposedly posted on X (formerly Twitter) claiming to show Kenya Power telling off customers, and found it to be FAKE.
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.
By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. We do this by giving the public deeper insight and context into posts they see in their social media feeds.
Have you spotted what you think is fake or false information on Facebook? Here’s how you can report. And, here’s more information on PesaCheck’s methodology for fact-checking questionable content.
This fact-check was written by PesaCheck fact-checker Naomi Wanjiku and edited by PesaCheck senior copy editor Cédrick Irakoze and acting chief copy editor Francis Mwaniki.
The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck managing editor Doreen Wainainah.
