A picture has been circulating on social media platforms with captions suggesting that it’s indicative of Zimbabwe’s drug problem. A reader reached out to FactCheckZW for clarification.
A search of social media platforms showed that this picture has been posted by different accounts. It was posted on X on 22 May 2025 with the caption, “Who is supplying drugs in Zimbabwe, guys? This can’t be ignored forever.”
However, another account commented saying the Zimbabweans in the picture are not drug addicts but security guards waiting for their next shift.
While the picture could have been taken in a Zimbabwean park, there was no proof and the skyline looks wrong.
Where is the picture originally from?
A Google reverse image search showed many other posts from Kenya and Zimbabwe claiming the picture is from their country all in the past month..
Bulawayo Radio station Khulumani FM also posted this picture.
Another X account posted, “Zimbabwe is very safe; you can sleep peacefully in the park with your wallet in your pocket.”
One Kenyan posted on Facebook, “This park hosts some of the heaviest hearts of the day. I once trekked all day in search of a job and ended up at Jevanjee Gardens, very tired, hungry, and thirsty. Some are just homeless; others are waiting for their work shift hours or hospital visiting hours.”
Verifying the image
Many comments on the Kenyan post referenced a specific park called Nandi Gardens in Kenya, where they had been at some point in their lives.
A Google Maps search confirmed that Nandi Gardens’ address is indeed in Eldoret, Kenya, and Google Maps has pictures of the place, confirming that it is a Kenyan park called Nandi Garden in a shopping mall in Eldoret.
The picture below is from Google Earth of the same place.
Conclusion
The picture used in the social media posts is not from Zimbabwe, despite being used many times on social media to refer to a park in Zimbabwe. The location is Nandi Garden, a park in a shopping mall in Eldoret, Kenya.
