A purported image of the just appointed Kenya Kwanza Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua emerged online claiming that he was holding three full-food-plates and a bottle of soda.
Through an online search, we established the image was fabricated from an existing file. Error Level Analysis singled out cloning evidence with interfered pixels, colour temperature, and texture.
INTENT:
Producer(s) of such image sought to depict Mr. Gachagua as a glutton, possibly for political mudslinging. Some unsuspecting consumers may take the image on face value and as the truth. But even those who would outrightly recognise the image as fabricated, would in the hindsight be influenced by purported messaging.
A lot of political-related image fabrication is on the rise, deliberately produced to misinformation and/or disinformation. Digital media users ought to question the authenticity of suspecting fake or sensationalised images before consuming, storing, or sharing.
Consumers can always send us such images for authenticity check via WhatsApp No. +254777357655 or email them to fakeimagescheck@gmail.com or info@fakeimagescheck.org
