A Rest-In-Peace message that made the rounds of Twitter for the son of a former Kenyan prime minister confounded social media users: The son’s name was Fidel Castro Odinga and the accompany hashtag expressing condolences, #RIPFidel.
Understandably, perhaps, many mistook the #RIPFidel as a reference to the Cuban leader.
Raila Odinga announced the death via this tweet, United Press International reported: “It is with profound sorrow that my wife Ida and I announced the untimely passing of our eldest son, Fidel Castro Odinga.”
It wasn’t long before other social media users read the message and shared their sorrow — only for former Cuba dictator Fidel Castro, 88, who stepped down in 2006 to allow his brother to govern.
The news site Diario de Cuba actually picked up on the tweet and spread it around to its own followers.
A Twitter user with the handle @CongressoPodre wrote: “#RIPfidel DEMORO! … URGENTE: Extraoficialmente Dictator Fidel Castro fallece,” beneath a picture of the former Cuban leader laying at peace on a pillow and mattress.
The Cuban Mr. Castro hasn’t made an appearance in public in over a year, when he resurfaced at an art show in Havana, UPI said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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