A wave of viral posts this week claimed Bill Gates or his foundation had released genetically modified mosquitoes in Kenya, triggering panic across social media.
On X and Facebook, users alleged the insects were biting children and the elderly as part of a secret experiment.
The claims spread fast. Screenshots, videos, and speculation flooded timelines, feeding fears of an unannounced public health trial in Nairobi and beyond.
Senior Counsel Paul Muite helped ignite the uproar. In a widely shared post, he claimed Nairobi was “flooded with mosquitoes released from your laboratories”, suggesting the insects were deliberately unleashed to harm “children, the elderly, and other vulnerable populations”.
The Gates Foundation is aware of social media posts claiming that we release mosquitoes in Kenya. This claim is false.
The Gates Foundation does not release mosquitoes, operate laboratories that do so, or run vector-control activities in Nairobi or anywhere else.
In Kenya,…
— Gates Foundation Africa (@GatesAfrica) February 9, 2026
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has responded with an unequivocal denial.
“This claim is false,” the foundation said, rejecting the allegations outright.
“The Gates Foundation does not release mosquitoes, does not operate mosquito-release laboratories, and does not run vector control field projects in Kenya or anywhere else.”
The foundation stressed that it has no authority over mosquito control in the country.
“All malaria prevention and control initiatives in Kenya are led by Kenyan authorities and regulated under national law,” it said, calling the viral claims misinformation.
The rumours utilise elements of genuine scientific research. For over a decade, scientists have been investigating genetically modified mosquitoes as a potential tool in the fight against malaria.
This includes techniques such as sterile-male releases and gene-drive technologies aimed at targeting species that carry the malaria parasite.
@gatesfoundation:Our Capital City Nairobi is now flooded with mosquitoes released from your laboratories to eliminate the malaria-carrying ones we’re told.We believe your genetically modified mosquitoes are designed to harm us. They’re now busy biting children and the elderly
— Paul Muite SC (@Paul_Muite) February 9, 2026
Some tightly controlled trials, such as Target Malaria projects in parts of West Africa, have taken place under government oversight. None, however, involve mosquito releases by the Gates Foundation in Kenya.
Burkina Faso – frequently cited in online threads – halted a Gates-backed mosquito research project in 2025 over safety and ethical concerns.
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That decision garnered significant media attention across the continent and continues to influence public discourse, even as the facts no longer support the prevailing fears.
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