Kenya: No, Viral List Apparently Showing Nairobi Police Chiefs Appointed On Tribal Lines Is Fake

What the report says

A document circulating on Facebook that appeared to show new commanders appointed to 34 Nairobi police stations has been rejected as fake, according to Africa Check’s report distributed by AllAfrica. The list, which bore the National Police Service logo and was titled as an appointment notice for Nairobi OCSs, prompted online claims that the postings were made along ethnic lines because the names on it were said to be associated with the Kalenjin community.

Africa Check said the document included stations such as Central, Pangani, Kilimani, Buruburu, Kasarani, Embakasi, Lang’ata, Parklands, Kamukunji, Gigiri, Karen, Ruai and Umoja. It also noted that an OCS is the senior officer responsible for daily policing at a station and that any major reshuffle of this kind would normally be announced through official police channels or covered by credible Kenyan media.

The report said it found no trustworthy evidence that such appointments had been made. Instead, on 5 August 2026, the National Police Service posted the same document on its verified Facebook page with a “FAKE” label, indicating that it was not authentic. The false list matters because it circulated a sensitive allegation about ethnicity and public appointments in Kenya’s capital, where police postings can attract close scrutiny.