The Ministry of Agriculture has cautioned Kenyans against a surge in fake social media accounts impersonating the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). Nine such accounts have been flagged for defrauding people online. The ministry has outlined official communication channels to help users verify authenticity.
The Ministry of Agriculture issued a notice on Saturday, January 31, warning the public against nine social media accounts impersonating the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). The flagged accounts include KALRO Livestock Farm, KALRO Farm Livestock Naivasha, KALRO Farm Naivasha, Kalro Farm Kenya, Kalro Farm 07809536--, Kalro Farm Naivasha, KALRO Livestock Farm, Kalro Livestock Farm, and Kalro Farm. KALRO stated it is not affiliated with them and that they have been scamming the public through impersonation and false representation.
"The public is hereby notified that KALRO is NOT affiliated with the following social media accounts and any other accounts impersonating KALRO," KALRO stated. "These fraudulent accounts have been scamming members of the public through impersonation and false representation," it added.
The organization clarified that all payments must be made exclusively through the government's E-Citizen platform or *222#. KALRO warned it will not be liable for any losses from transactions via unofficial accounts. The public is urged to remain vigilant and verify information through official platforms before engaging.
This alert follows a similar warning from the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) a week earlier on January 20 about fraudsters offering fake job opportunities. KPA emphasized its merit-based recruitment process requires no payments, highlighting a rising trend of online scams targeting Kenyans via government impersonation.