Did Uhuru spread social media propaganda about Kalonzo?

Nasa co-principals Musalia Mudavadi (left) and Mr Kalonzo Musyoka address a crowd in Chuka town, Tharaka Nithi County, on June 16, 2017. There was a message on WhatsApp claiming that Wiper was putting in Mr Musyoka’s name on the list of nominees to the Senate after the General Election. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • President Kenyatta said he was of the understanding that Wiper was putting in Musyoka’s name on the list of nominees to the Senate.

This week, President Uhuru Kenyatta appeared to have fallen for misinformation or deliberately deployed it in his campaigns.

When fake news is picked up by someone with as much reach and a large audience as the Head of State has, it benefits from his stamp of credibility.

Political watchers will note how fast the President moved on from that goof.

On another note, there is still no shortage of people working to attract visitors to their websites.

1. Kalonzo Musyoka already has a nomination to the Senate

What started out as a forwarded message on WhatsApp of indeterminate origin appeared to gain some form of credence when it was repeated by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking in Kamukuywa, Bungoma, on Sunday, President Kenyatta said he was of the understanding that Wiper was putting in Musyoka’s name on the list of nominees to the Senate after the General Election.

ELECTIONS ACT

It was, he said, evidence enough that Nasa’s leaders are prepared for a loss at the August 8 polls.

While it made for a good jibe at Nasa, it was not true.

We asked Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior about it.

He said he was not aware and then pointed us in the direction of Section 34 (9) of the Elections Act.

NOMINEES

The joint committee he was a part of last year introduced an amendment to the law on elections barring the submission of a candidate’s name for the party list.

It specifically states: “The party list shall not contain a name of a candidate nominated for an election.”

The same day, Jared Maaka Siso, Wiper’s executive director, pointed out that under the law, the nominees to the Senate should be: 16 women, a man and a woman representing the youth and a man and a woman representing the disabled.

“From the foregoing, it is as clear as daylight that Mr Musyoka cannot be a nominee for the Senate,” he added.

2. Kenyans can travel to the United States without a visa

Imagine that. Having the ability to hop on a plane and land at John F Kennedy Airport and take a taxi to Times Square.

Or land at Dulles and go see the White House, hoping to catch a glimpse of The Donald stepping out to a meeting.

That is what the website usa-television.com was basically saying Kenyans would do after President Trump signed that executive order.

It went on to say that the maximum time one could stay is 180 days, and that stays over 180 days would require a visa.

The correct position is that this is all a lie created by the website to attract visitors and probably make a little money from the advertising.