Insights

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​56% of Kenyans say it's increasingly difficult to distinguish credible news from misinformation in the digital space. A Reuters Institute survey found 73% have trouble telling what is true and what is fake online. Misinformation and disinformation in Kenya have led to serious negative effects across society, governance, and individual wellbeing. These include:

• Erosion of Trust: The spread of false or misleading information significantly undermines public trust in media, institutions, and government.

• Threats to Democracy: Fake news and disinformation, especially around elections, skew public perception, fuel political polarization, and threaten the integrity of democratic processes.

• Social Cohesion and Security Risks: Coordinated misinformation and hate campaigns incite or prolong social conflict, exacerbate divisions, and in some cases can threaten national security by making the country vulnerable to both internal and foreign information manipulation.

• Targeted Harm: Gendered and coordinated disinformation campaigns particularly harm women and marginalized communities through technology-facilitated abuse, online harassment, and reputational damage, leading to social and economic consequences.

• Public Health and Critical Issues: Health-related misinformation, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, endangers lives by spreading falsehoods that hinder effective responses to public health emergencies.

• Impact on Youth: Young Kenyans, highly active on digital media are especially affected, both as targets and spreaders of viral misinformation, reducing resilience to manipulated narratives.

• Suppression and Censorship Risks: Efforts to counter fake news sometimes result in overly broad regulation, risking the suppression of free speech and enabling authorities to target dissent or critics under the guise of combating misinformation.

• Digital Literacy Challenges: Low levels of digital and media literacy contribute to the inability to distinguish credible information from falsehoods, making individuals more susceptible to manipulation.

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Methodology

At Haki Fact Check Kenya, we are committed to rigorous, transparent, and impactful fact-checking to promote truth and accountability in public discourse. Our methodology combines established fact-checking principles with the Wardle framework on information disorder to address misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation effectively.

1. Claim Selection

We prioritize fact-checking based on relevance, public interest, and the potential impact of misinformation in Kenya. Claims selected often originate from public figures, viral social media posts, widely circulated narratives, or topics suggested by our audience that may influence democracy, social cohesion, or public wellbeing.

2. Research and Verification

We trace claims to original and credible sources, including official government data, expert research, authoritative reports, and direct statements. Our team conducts thorough investigations using primary documents, interviews, and expert consultations where needed.

3. Framework

We assess claims through Claire Wardle’s typology of information disorder to better understand and explain the nature of our debunks. The framework classifies seven types of information disorder into:

• Satire or Parody: No harmful intent but can fool people if taken seriously.

• Misleading Content: Information that is used to frame an issue or person incorrectly.

• Imposter Content: Genuine sources or people are impersonated to deceive audiences.

• Fabricated Content: Completely false content created to deceive and harm.

• False Connection: Headlines, captions, or visuals that don’t support the actual content.

• False Context: Genuine content is shared with false or misleading contextual information.

• Manipulated Content: Genuine media altered to mislead (e.g., photos or videos edited deceptively).

​4. Contextual and Impact Analysis

Beyond establishing factual truth, we provide context to prevent misinterpretation and shed light on motives, methods of dissemination, and possible consequences. This helps readers understand the broader information environment surrounding the claim. Every fact-check we publish is non-partisan, evidence-based, and transparent. We verify claims not people. Our only bias is towards the truth.