Africa Check
Yes, Kenya’s county funding based on five-year-old national revenue figures
11th July 2019 A push to amend Kenya’s constitution continues to simmer, with backers of a draft bill saying they have the required million signatures supporting... →
Yes, Kenya’s health budget has risen 30% in last two fiscal years
8th July 2019 Better healthcare is a key pillar of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy projects, known as the Big 4, as he serves out his second and final term.... →
South African police minister cites dubious UN standard as he calls for 60 000 more officers
2nd July 2019 Giving his second state of the nation address in June 2019, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said that the first step to creating a country... →
No evidence powerful Kenyan minister urged debtors to default on popular mobile apps
27th June 2019 Has Kenya’s powerful interior minister banned mobile lending apps, as a post on a popular Facebook page claims? As evidence of this order, the user... →
Coca-Cola is right: 50% of young women in northern Nigeria have no formal education
25th June 2019 To mark International Women’s Day in March 2019, Coca-Cola Nigeria tweeted a video that opened with the claim that “50% of young women in northern... →
Kenya’s 2019 budget speech: do finance minister’s numbers add up?
18th June 2019 On 13 June 2019 Kenya’s finance minister Henry Rotich announced his budget for the 2019/20 financial year, which starts on 1 July. Rotich said the... →
Does Kenya have one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world?
13th June 2019 A British charity’s recent appeal for donations said the death rates of mothers and young children in Kenya were very high, giving statistics to... →
Are nearly 80% of Kenya’s farmers smallholders? No data shows this
6th June 2019 Household budgets can be a tight balancing act in Kenya, with unpredictable weather playing ping-pong with food prices. The government’s budgets... →
Cadbury South Africa’s 3.7-million orphans claim based on old data
4th June 2019 A paper plane is the “closest thing to a toy” South African orphans may ever have, according to a May 2019 marketing campaign by chocolate company... →
Quick read: South Africa’s 2019 election in numbers
28th May 2019 In May 2019 South Africa held its sixth democratic election. Millions queued to make their mark on a longer than usual ballot paper. The dust is... →
Do eight professionals leave South Africa for every one that comes in?
27th May 2019 In an April 2019 episode of the Money Show on talk radio 702, host Bruce Whitfield explored why South Africa’s economy was “in trouble”. “Brain... →
Are there ‘100-million generators in private hands’ in Nigeria?
10th May 2019 During a “special open line” segment on his popular morning radio show, 702 host Bongani Bingwa asked South Africans to suggest solutions to the... →
No, SA government hasn’t built 4-million houses – and Ramaphosa didn’t promise a million in Alex
17th April 2019 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently brought his election campaign to Alexandra, after a week of protests about service delivery in the... →
Top Kenyan lawyer gets parliament and judiciary funding numbers wrong
3rd April 2019 As Kenya’s parliament finalises the country’s budget forecasts, its allocation to the judiciary has left a prominent lawyer unimpressed. “Look at... →
False context: Graphic videos, photos not of recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa
2nd April 2019 South African government officials have met diplomats from other African countries to discuss reported attacks on foreign nationals in the... →
Settling the long-running DA-ANC spat over City of Tshwane finances
28th March 2019 In February 2019, South Africa’s political parties responded in parliament to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, in what is... →
‘One South Africa for All!’ Fact-checking the DA’s 2019 election manifesto
26th March 2019 South Africa’s official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), launched its election manifesto in Johannesburg on 23 February 2019. The... →
World Water Day: 10 facts – some surprising – about Africa’s water
22nd March 2019 In 2019, World Water Day is focusing on the reasons why so many people still do not have safe water. To mark this day, we’re sharing some facts... →
No proof for ‘12-million jobs’ in Nigeria’s rice industry, as presidential aide claimed
19th March 2019 Rice has become a staple food in Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country, making the industry a priority for governments wanting to improve their... →
Does South Africa’s finance minister have his job creation numbers right?
14th March 2019 In a speech peppered with biblical quotes and many tales about plants, finance minister Tito Mboweni outlined his budget for South Africa on 20... →
The jewel in the crown: Lagos governor hopefuls fact-checked
8th March 2019 Nigerians again hit the polling booths on 9 March 2019, this time to vote in governors and state assemblies. To help inform voters, The City that... →
How Kenyatta mangled his numbers on Kenyan counties’ development spend
6th March 2019 Unsmiling and flanked by county governors, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered striking Kenyan nurses back to work, as he pushed back against their... →
‘Our land and jobs now!’ Fact-checking the EFF’s 2019 election manifesto
4th March 2019 The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a South African political party, launched its election manifesto on 2 February 2019 in the country’s Gauteng... →
Kenya’s Ruto at Chatham House: verifying the deputy president’s London speech
25th February 2019 Deputy president William Ruto has become the latest notable Kenyan politician to speak at London’s Chatham House, where he highlighted the... →
Battle of the titans: Fact-checking arch-rivals in race for Nigeria’s presidency
15th February 2019 This week, Nigerians will elect a president. They are spoilt for choice: the official list has 73 names for the presidency, though some have since... →
‘A better life for all?’ Fact-checking the ANC’s 2019 election manifesto
11th February 2019 South Africa’s ruling political party, the African National Congress, launched its 2019 election manifesto last month. Taglined “a people’s plan... →
State of the Facts: Verifying Cyril Ramaphosa’s #SONA2019 claims
8th February 2019 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his second state of the nation address in parliament on 7 February. It was also the fifth – and... →
Has SA’s President Ramaphosa kept his 2018 State of the Nation promises?
6th February 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to deliver South Africa’s annual State of the Nation address tomorrow night in Cape Town. And Africa Check will... →
No, 60 days of the ‘average’ Kenyan wage won’t buy you a new iPhone XS
5th February 2019 If the average Kenyan wants to buy a snazzy new iPhone XS smartphone, they’ll have to stop paying all other living expenses for 60 days, a story by... →
Did President Museveni get his facts right about Uganda’s development?
1st February 2019 Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement has made big strides since 1986, President Yoweri Museveni said in a New Year’s Day message to the... →
Fact-checked: The ANC’s 2014 election manifesto promises
28th January 2019 South Africans have been urged to register to vote ahead of the country’s national and provincial elections. Africa Check will be fact-checking... →
Have ‘hundreds’ of kids drowned in school pit latrines in South Africa?
25th January 2019 Thousands of people gathered in South Africa’s Soweto township in December 2018 for the Global Citizen Festival, a celebration of the hundred years... →
Nigeria #Debate2019: Did presidential candidates get their facts straight?
24th January 2019 With only weeks to Nigeria’s 2019 elections, campaigning is at fever pitch. It has not been without drama. On 19 January 2019 the first... →
Yes, teenagers account for 10% of deliveries in South Africa, but not half the maternal deaths
23rd January 2019 Many of the mothers who die during or shortly after childbirth are teenagers, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government’s head of health said... →
‘Project Rescue Nigeria’: Fact-checking Oby Ezekwesili’s presidential manifesto
17th January 2019 On 16 February 2019, Nigerians will head to the polls to choose a new president. One candidate is Obiageli Ezekwesili, who has twice served as a... →
ANC at 107: Eight birthday claims by party leader Ramaphosa fact-checked
14th January 2019 With the stakes high in an election year, South Africa’s ruling party sought to play up its achievements in the 25 years it has been in power.... →
500 000 or 200 000? President’s numbers for mortgages in Kenya both wide of the mark
8th January 2019 In a recent interview on the state of the nation, President Uhuru Kenyatta said he was frustrated by how few people in Kenya had taken up home... →
No, Kenya’s capital Nairobi doesn’t rake in KSh10bn a year from Murang’a water
11th December 2018 Kenya’s young county governments are under pressure to make ends meet. As a result, some are laying claim to the national resources in their... →
South African Airways has lost billions in seven unprofitable years
6th December 2018 South Africa’s new finance minister, Tito Mboweni, has spoken openly about what needs to be done to solve the country’s economic problems. He... →
Do 49% of men and 34.1% of women in South Africa smoke?
5th December 2018 Does South Africa have a huge number of smokers? A tweet by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World says so: “49% of men and 34.1% of women in South... →
Yes, China is Kenya’s biggest trading partner – but it’s not a balanced trade
4th December 2018 Kenya’s trade with China is rarely far from the headlines. The latest is a widely reported claim that China could seize Kenya’s assets over debt.... →
