Reports are making rounds online that the government is giving Ksh10,000 child support money to Kenyans for a period of six months.
A post indicating that the initiative was made because of several complaints made by parents over the high cost of living, has been reshared by many on Facebook, with an attachment of the application link.
Additionally, the post indicates that the application was opened on January 18, with an application window closing on February 29, 2024.
The application website indicates that every applicant will receive the Ksh10,000 amount for a period of six months.
“Are you a mother or father in Kenya, apply now for government of Kenya Ksh10,000 child support cash transfer. Every Kenyan parent is entitled to receive the sum of KSh10,000 for 6 months.
“Due to high level of complains, President William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto have urge that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation should open the CHILD SUPPORT scheme,” information on the application website reads.
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Fact Check by The Kenya Times
However, a fact check done by The Kenya Times has determined that the information is false.
For status, the information indicated that President William Ruto directed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to open a child support scheme.
There is no such ministry in the government of Kenya. Additionally, instead of directing a ‘minister’, the head of state would have directed a Cabinet Secretary.
The second red flag is the link tagged on the post. Directives or any announcements from the government of Kenya would be made through a (dot)go(dot)ke website, or any official sites and social media pages.
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Also, the information on the website is written in bad grammar. For instance, the use of the words president ‘have’ instead of ‘has’ and every Kenyan “parents” instead of “parent”, is an indication that the publication was made by a non-government official.
The sentences also have capitalization errors, which is something a state communications officer would be expected to note and correct.
How Imposters Scam Unsuspecting Kenyans Online and How to Avoid
In December 2023, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) warned Kenyans against tricks used by scammers to manipulate unsuspecting Kenyans online.
According to DCI, the scammers use a technique known as phishing to gain access to mobile and personal details without authorization by luring victims through fake job message offers and other benefits.
“Once you respond, the scammer tells you it is a simple job and all you have is to complete a few tasks. This may come with a financial incentive or bait.
“The scam moves to phase two. The scammers act as if there are some difficulties in transferring the amount and will ask you to download an app for easy transfer,” read the statement in part.
“It is advised to block such numbers right away. Do not download any app or click a link that seems suspicious or that an unknown individual suggests,’ noted DCI.
