Fact-check: This Twitter account is not of a Kenyan journalist

A social media account, with thousands of followers, claims to be that of a journalist in Kenya, East Africa, with interest in Pakistan’s politics.

The account is fake.

Claim

A Twitter account, with the name Kathy Peterson, has over 19,000 followers and claims to belong to a journalist in Kenya.

Since October 24, the account has been tweeting about the killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.

On October 25, the account tweeted: “Media sources saying that the Pakistani foreign minister wrote a letter to Dubai authorities to deport Arshad Sharif. So he was wanted person to Pakistan government.” It received over 3,000 retweets and nearly 7,000 likes.

Its biography on Twitter, which was later removed, stated that Peterson was a journalist in Nairobi, Kenya, who “got a masters degree from Islamabad, Pakistan.” It adds that Peterson lived in Pakistan for more than four years and she “loves Pakistan and its Army”.

Fact

The account is fake and not linked to a Kenyan journalist. Yet, it has duped several media outlets in Pakistan, as well as social media users.

In the last few days, the social media account has consistently changed its Twitter handle from @555Says to @PetViews, as well as its name from “Sofia” to “Sofia Kashif” to now “Laura Pet”.

While the profile picture it is using is that of Flora Limukii, a television reporter in Kenya.

The account has also tweeted in Urdu several times in the last few days.

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