- A single tweet by a Kenyan journalist about a supposed 27-year-old South African student arrested for supposedly scamming KFC out of free chicken was reported worldwide as fact – by some of the biggest outlets int he world.
- The journalist maintains it's all true, and the KFC's denial is the lie, though he won't provide more details.
- That's not what police and prosecutors say, though.
- This is not the firs time the radio journalist, Teddy Otieno, also known as Teddy Eugene, has made waves with supposed news that turned out to be not quite verifiable.
- For more stories, go to Business Insider SA.
A Kenyan journalist maintains that a South African student – who has become something of an anonymous hero on social media – scammed KFC out of free chicken for a year before being caught.
But KFC, and police, and prosecutors know nothing about such a case, and with no further corroborating detail, it is starting to look as if Teddy Otieno, also known as Teddy Eugene, may not have had the facts quite straight.
That, though, didn't stop the news of the supposed arrest of the student from running around the world.
Otieno/Eugene told the story in a single tweet on Monday, providing only bare details.
South African man arrested for eating at KFC free for a year by saying head office sent him to taste if they are up to standard. pic.twitter.com/1V4eD7IR2i
— The African Voice (@teddyeugene) May 12, 2019
The story was reported by respected American television network CBS, ran on South African radio, was reported by any number of smaller outlets and blogs, and was also published by the Daily Mail, one of the planet's most-read publications.
Student arrested after eating free KFC for a year by posing as a boss from 'head office' https://t.co/xeYNTYea6F
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 14, 2019
All information beyond the original tweet seems to have been drawn from the website Daily Active Kenya, which cited no source of any kind for such embellishing details as the fact that the student was transported by a limo-driver accomplice.
Those details were, in turn, quoted by the likes of the Daily Mail as "local" news – despite coming from a country 4,000 kilometres away from KwaZulu-Natal, the scene of the supposed crime and arrest.
The Kenyan journalist stands by his tweet.
Business Insider can confirm that Otieno, who is verified on Twitter, is a news journalist for the Kenyan radio station, Hot 96 FM.
Speaking to Business Insider South Africa, station manager Cynthia Mwangi distanced the organisation from his KFC report.
"He tweets in his personal capacity and has nothing to do with us," she said.
Reached only by email, Otieno said he stands by his tweet.
"[I] got it from a contact in KwaZulu Natal," he said, and characterised KFC's denial as "a PR stunt".
Under South African law, arrested individuals are supposed to appear before court no later than 48 hours after their arrest.
But by mid-week, said Natasha Karra, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, there had been no such appearance.
Police in the province too had heard of the arrest they had supposedly made only via social media.
This is not the first time Otieno has tweeted highly questionable stories – to much attention. In one instance the country formerly known as Swaziland trended on Twitter after he said that, by decree of eSwatini King Mswati III, men there faced jail time if they did not marry two wives.
King Mswati III of eSwatini says men will be required to marry two/more wives or be jailed starting in June 2019. The king has 15 wives. pic.twitter.com/rLfDE4RRSY
— The African Voice (@teddyeugene) May 13, 2019
According to his tweet, the law would come into effect in June, but was later refuted.
eSwatini (Swaziland) King Denies He Ordered Men To Marry More Wives Or Face Jail Sentence. King Mswati, Who’s 51, Has 15 Wives, And is in The Market for the 16th. His Father Sobhuza II Married 70 Wives, Who Gave Him 210 Children (180 survived infancy). https://t.co/G1X2WOzGLs pic.twitter.com/cpBlJUTgRp
— Charles Onyango-Obbo (@cobbo3) May 15, 2019
The rumour spread about the polygamy decree was malicious and poisonous, said Swatini's government spokesperson Percy Simelane, Times Live reported.
"His Majesty has not made any pronouncement to that effect as it has never been an issue raised," by the people, Simelane said.
He said the story was "not only an insult to the monarchy and the culture of eSwatini but a disgrace to journalism".
Meredith Cash contributed to this report.
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