Aisha Jumwa Speaks After Reports of Her Daughters Death

Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa on Saturday, May 22, dismissed rumours doing rounds on social media about her daughter committing suicide.
While attending a ceremony in her constituency, Jumwa assured that all members of her family were safe and sound including her daughter.

“There is a post doing rounds on social media about a girl that is alleged to have committed suicide in school. In the post, netizens are claiming that the girl is my daughter. I want to categorically state that my daughter is doing well,” Jumwa stated.

Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa (right) and her Msambweni counterpart Suleiman Dori (left) addressing the press at Park Hotel, Nairobi, on January 24, 2019.FACEBOOK

The rumors begun on Saturday morning after a photo of a girl resembling the lawmaker went viral. Attached to the photo were mesages that the girl had committed suicide.

Reports from media houses in Ghana indicated that the 16-year-old was a Ghanian national who was a student at Miracles Senior High School.

The girl, only identified as Leticia, was found hanging from the ceiling of the school dining hall by her classroom on May 17, 2021.

Still on Saturday, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o dispelled rumours of his passing making rounds on social media.

“The rumour on Twitter announcing my passing on is the evil genius of desperate opponents. It should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves!” Nyong’o stated.

Malicious individuals peddle fake news with an aim of maligning ones name or getting ahead. In political circles, it is a tactic that is commonly used, hence, Kenyans must be vigilant and separate facts from fiction.

The government is moving to curb the spread of fake news especially on social media platforms by stipulating stiff penalties for anyone found guilty of the crime.

President Uhuru Kenyatta enacted the Computer and Cybercrimes Bill, 2017 providing a two-year jail term or Ksh5 million fine for spreading fake news in early 2020.

“A person who intentionally publishes false, misleading or fictitious data or misinforms with the intent that the data shall be considered or acted upon as authentic, with or without any financial gain, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding five million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both,” reads clause 12 of the new law.

Sourced from Kenyans.co.ke