Bill Gates conspiracy theories viral in Africa

Johannesburg: As the novel coronavirus wreaks global havoc, Bill Gates is the new bete noire for conspiracy theorists worldwide including in Africa where a Kenyan politician's false online post has added major fuel to the spread of misinformation. While Gates's vaccine programmes on the continent have long provided ample fodder for speculation, the bogus claims have gained new traction amid the pandemic. On March 15, Nairobi governor Mike Sonko published an old video of Gates warning about the consequences of a future pandemic, with the caption "Bill Gates told us about the corona virus 2015 (sic)". While the clip shows the philanthropist telling an audience that the world...