Summary
In April 2026, an AI-generated image depicting a helicopter crash in Eldama Ravine, Baringo county, Kenya, circulated on social media with a false caption claiming six occupants, including high-ranking officials, had perished. The image was posted on April 16, 2026, but fact-checkers identified it as fabricated using artificial intelligence tools. The registration number ‘5Y-DSB’ on the helicopter in the image matched the aircraft involved in a fatal crash that occurred in February 2026, which killed lawmaker Johana Ng’eno and five others. Additionally, the security uniforms and the appearance of the burning wreckage in the image were inconsistent with known details from the February incident and standard Kenyan police attire. Africa Check confirmed that no second crash occurred on April 16, 2026, and the image was originally published as early as March 2, 2026, labeled as AI-generated in an article about the February crash.