FACT CHECK: Photo ‘showing police vehicles at Matiang’i’s home is not recent

Citizen Digital has established that the photo posted on Twitter by a user, Abuga Makori, was first shared in 2020.

In a tweet, the social media user claimed that there were five vehicles outside Matiangi’s home in Karen, Nairobi.

However, a reverse image search shows that the photo was first shared in 2020 by various media houses covering the then arrest of Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi.

At the time, a contingent of police officers camped outside the vocal MP’s compound over incitement allegations. Hundreds of youth blocked the road in an attempt to bar the police from arresting him.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has issued a statement on the events that transpired on Wednesday night at the home of former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i who claims that a team of elite police officers had surrounded the premises.

DCI boss Mohamed Amin, in the statement, noted that after conducting independent investigations to determine the authenticity of Matiang’i’s claims, they discovered that the incident was nothing more but a “well-coordinated and deliberate attempt to spread false information and incite public fear.”

At the same time, Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome said that no police officer was sent to Matiang’i’s home. 

The IG told Citizen Digital that the police were not involved in the raid, where it is alleged that an unknown number of elite police officers surrounded the former Minister’s home in Karen. 

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