Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has taken to twitter to denounce a parody account that managed to obtain verification using his name and details. The verification of the account @HEBabuOwino1 elicited mixed feelings among netizens, given the tough process one has to go through to get verified.
Ironically, the MP’s official account @HEBabuOwino remains unverified, despite his status and 177k followers. However, it is up to Babu Owino to obtain verification for his account since one has to apply to Twitter.
The youthful MP took to Twitter to denounce the video, saying his opponents must be behind the fake account.
“I would like to make a clarification on my Twitter account. My official Twitter account is @HEBabuOwino. Twitter has done a great mistake to verify a fake account under my name called @HEBabuOwino1.”
“That is not my account. It is a fake account and I would like to distance myself from it. Any other information that Kenyans will get from that account is fake,” he stated.
Read: Here’s How to Apply for Twitter Verification Using New Guidelines
Since the verification process requires users to submit their documentation, Babu claims the owners of the account had stolen his details and used them to secure the verification.
“The account which has been verified by Twitter means that the scammers went and forged my ID and used it for verification of the same account so ignore it,” he added.
Twitter started the verification process this year after suspending the process in 2017. The company provides a set of guidelines for verification, with users expected to meet a certain threshold before they are verified. The process, which is deemed quite stringent, has in the past few months seen a number of unexpected users verified.
Last month, Raila Odinga Junior, the ODM leader’s son, criticized the social media platform for rejecting his verification request. Popular boy child activist, Amerix, was also stripped of his verification last week to the chagrin of his dedicated followers.
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