An image shared on Facebook with claims that it is of Kericho Airstrip is false.
The image was shared by a Facebook user with the identity Governor Lelei on November 5, 2023, and was captioned “Kericho Airstrip”.
The image shows a tarmacked section of an airstrip with a background of a water body and a green mountainous landscape.
According to a Google reverse image search conducted by Business Today, the image is of Ken Jones Aerodrome in Jamaica.
The aerodrome is located in the northwestern part of Jamaica, near Port Antonio and the Black River.
The original image was posted on Facebook on March 14, 2022, by the Facebook page Portland Jamaica.
The aerodrome receives flights from Kingston, Oracabessa, Montego Bay, and Negril.
A Yandex reverse image search shows a similar photo of the aerodrome was shared on this website.
In Kericho, there exists the Karenga Airstrip, whose photos were posted on the Ministry of Transport’s website on October 12, 2023.
According to the photos posted in October, the Karenga Airstrip is not yet tarmacked, and there are no water bodies in the background.
During an inspection tour in October, Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Kipchumba Murkomen announced that the second phase of the construction work will entail the paving and expansion of the runway from the current 1.2km to 2km.
“The CS disclosed that the Ministry was in talks with the Ekaterra Tea Company to fast-track the process of land acquisition and allow the issuance of operation license, expansion of works, and construction of a modern terminal building,” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
The Karenga Airstrip had not been operational until October 11, 2023, when, according to the Ministry of Transport, the First Lady, Mama Rachel Ruto, became the first person to land and take off from the Airstrip.
Currently, there are no records of the existence of Kericho Airstrip.
The photo captioned Kericho Airstrip is, therefore, misleading.
This fact check was published by Business Today with technical support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck newsdesk, through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).
