A video shared on X(formerly Twitter)and TikTok purporting that President William Ruto introduced Defence Cabinet Secretary, Ms Soipan Tuya as his ex-girlfriend is altered.

Ruto and Tuya are visible in the clip as he allegedly makes the statement. The video’s caption, in Swahili, translates to: ‘This is my former girlfriend; we will continue planting trees.’

The clip was shared following cabinet changes after Ruto dismissed his cabinet on July 11, 2024, in an effort to form a ‘broad-based government’ following anti-government protests. In his new nominations, Ruto initially appointed Tuya as Environment CS and later nominated her for the Defence docket.

His choice of new cabinet members faced widespread criticism. Tuya, in particular, was subjected to sexist attacks online after her nomination. In response, Maasai women, under the Maa Women’s Umbrella Network lobby, publicly condemned the surge in cyberbullying and sexual harassment against Ms. Tuya.”

WOKN performed a Google reverse search of a screengrab from the circulating video to determine the clip’s authenticity. The results brought up a TikTok video where Ruto is seen introducing his wife, Rachel. 

A further keyword search led us to a YouTube video of Ruto introducing his wife, shared on May 10, 2024. The footage bears the State House logo and a subsequent review of the State House YouTube channel brought up the original video, which dates back to the National Tree Planting Day on May 10, 2024, when Kenya’s President William Ruto led a tree planting exercise at Kambicho Forest in Murang’a County. 

In the original video, President Ruto introduces his wife Rachel as his former girlfriend at the 8:20 mark after which he introduces Soipan Tuya, establishing that Ruto was speaking of his wife and not Tuya as alleged. 

This fact-check was written by Woman Kenya Network fact-checker Priscilla Kimani and edited by Woman Kenya Network Editor, Aruna Museti.

This fact-check was produced by Woman Kenya Network (WOKN) under the African Fact-Checking Incubator program, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

Woman Kenya Network is a distinguished digital media company committed to advancing gender equality and promoting the equitable participation of women and girls in society.

Launched in 2018, WOKN has grown into a fully-fledged digital media platform with a vibrant social media presence on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Our platforms have become a trusted and reliable source of information on gender-sensitive content covering diverse thematic areas including Politics, Climate, Peace and Security, Gender Justice, Health, Economic Empowerment, and SRHR as guided by SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  We use the media to advocate for gender equality, promote just portrayal, and amplify women’s voices in society.

The post ALTERED: President William Ruto did not introduce Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya as his former girlfriend appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

This TikTok video claiming that Interior CS Kithure Kindiki hit out at President William Ruto after cabinet dissolution is false. 

The video is captioned: “See how Kindiki tells Ruto after Firing all Cabinet secretaries today. Now Kindiki amerudi upande wa wananchi.” It was shared after the cabinet was dissolved on 11 July 2024 and alleged that Kindiki had abandoned Ruto and joined the protesting citizens.

In the video, Kindiki states: “Hii nchi, hatuezi endelea namna hii, lazima tuchague kama tutarekebisha nchi yetu isiharibike zaidi…” This translates to: “This country, we can’t continue like this, we have to choose whether we will fix our country so it doesn’t get more damaged…”

Kindiki’s purported speech was also reported here and here as an accurate depiction of events following the dismissal. 

The firing of cabinet secretaries came after unwavering protests in Kenya over the controversial 2024 Finance Bill which was later withdrawn. 

Woman Kenya Network investigated using a reverse Google image search that led to a video on the KenyaMoja.com website shared on 16 June 2023. The original video was posted on 15 June 2023 on KBC’s YouTube channel, more than a year before Ruto fired the cabinet.

In the original video, Kindiki congratulated good officers and warned rogue government officials involved in bribery and corruption. At this point, he remarks that the government is on the side of the people and not corrupt officials.

Notably, Kindiki’s shirt in the TikTok video is the same as in the news report, and the outdoor setting and dried vegetation behind him are the same.

Woman Kenya Network looked into the claim of Kindiki’s statements to the President after the dissolution of Cabinet and found it to be fake. 

This fact-check was written by Woman Kenya Network fact-checker Veronica Ondere and edited by Woman Kenya Shadrack Agamira.

This fact-check was produced by Woman Kenya Network (WOKN) under the African Fact-Checking Incubator program, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

Woman Kenya Network is a distinguished digital media company committed to advancing gender equality and promoting the equitable participation of women and girls in society.

Launched in 2018, WOKN has grown into a fully-fledged digital media platform with a vibrant social media presence on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Our platforms have become a trusted and reliable source of information on gender-sensitive content covering diverse thematic areas including Politics, Climate, Peace and Security, Gender Justice, Health, Economic Empowerment, and SRHR as guided by SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  We use the media to advocate for gender equality, promote just portrayal, and amplify women’s voices in society.

The post False: This video is not of Interior CS Kithure Kindiki addressing President Ruto after the cabinet dissolution appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

A Facebook post with an image of Citizen TV journalist Olive Burrows wearing a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) branded dress is ALTERED.

The post reads, “Olive Burrows wins Miss UDA in the journalism category! Let’s give her a round of applause!”

The dress is also branded “Kenya Kwanza Women Brigade.”

UDA is Kenya’s ruling party under the Kenya Kwanza coalition umbrella.

The image was shared following a 27 July 2024 interview on Citizen TV with youth activists in the wake of anti-government protests, during which Burrows was accused of being pro-government by some social media users.

PesaCheck examined Burrows’ official social media accounts and found an image with similar features as the claim image.

The news anchor shared an image standing in the same posture and background on 26 February 2024 on Instagram and Facebook.

A side-by-side comparison of the original image and the doctored one shows that the authentic photo was manipulated to add the UDA branded dress.

Burrows denounced the claim in response to a PesaCheck inquiry saying, “I am in no way associated with UDA or Kenya Kwanza. It is cyberbullying.”

PesaCheck has looked into a Facebook post with an image of Citizen TV journalist Olive Burrows wearing a United Democratic Alliance-branded dress and finds it to be ALTERED.

This post was first published on the PesaCheck website. It is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. They do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.

The post ALTERED: This image of Citizen TV journalist Olive Burrows wearing a UDA-branded dress is doctored appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

This post on X accompanied by a document claiming that KFC would be laying off workers in Kenya due to the economic disruptions caused by anti-government demonstrations is fake. 

The document bears the KFC logo and supposedly originates from the KFC Franchise Department based in Texas, United States and is attributed to the company’s Human Resource Director. 

The purported letter claims to be an announcement of layoffs within the KFC franchise in Kenya following protests in the country. 

The publication of the letter also coincided with reports that businesses had lost up to Sh6 billion in the wake of the sustained Gen Z demos.

However, WOKN established that the letter was not authentic. 

Kentucky Fried Chicken, better known as KFC, is an American fast-food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. According to the American Chamber of Commerce, the KFC franchise in Kenya is operated by Kuku Foods in East Africa. 

Kuku Foods EA is, therefore, the entity that would make any announcements in Kenya on behalf of the Kenya franchise and not the head office. 

Further, KFC Kenya’s social media platforms did not have any record of such a letter. 

KFC Kenya instead issued an official statement stating that the letter circulating was fake. The fast-food company also clarified that the franchise was not undertaking any layoffs in Kenya. 

This fact-check was written by Woman Kenya Network fact-checker Veronica Ondere and edited by Woman Kenya Editor, Aruna Museti.

This fact-check was produced by Woman Kenya Network (WOKN) under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

Woman Kenya Network is a distinguished digital media company committed to advancing gender equality and promoting the equitable participation of women and girls in society.

Launched in 2018, WOKN has grown into a fully-fledged digital media platform with a vibrant social media presence on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Our platforms have become a trusted and reliable source of information on gender-sensitive content covering diverse thematic areas including Politics, Climate, Peace and Security, Gender Justice, Health, Economic Empowerment, and SRHR as guided by SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  We use the media to advocate for gender equality, promote just portrayal, and amplify women’s voices in society.

The post FALSE: KFC is not laying off staff due to Gen Z protests in Kenya appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

This screen grab on X (formerly Twitter), purportedly of The Star newspaper reporting that a female Nyanza governor is being lined up to be Kenya’s next deputy president, is FAKE.

The story was reportedly published by the newspaper’s Corridors of Power segment.

The purported screengrab has also been shared here and here.

But did The Star publish such a story?

A search on the publication’s website using some words from the purported screen grab did not bring up the story.

A review of the Corridors of Power segment also shows that the media outlet did not publish the story.

PesaCheck reviewed The Star’s X account and Facebook page, which shares Corridors of Power articles, and established that the stories do not carry photos of their subjects.

Further, The Star flagged the purported screen grab as fake here.

Governor Wanga also flagged the post and termed it fake news.

“False information spreads like wildfire, fueled by deceitful propaganda!” Wanga posted on Facebook.

PesaCheck examined a screen grab on X purportedly of The Star newspaper report on a female Nyanza governor being lined up to be Kenya’s next deputy president and found it to be FAKE.

This post was first published on the PesaCheck website. It is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. They do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.

The post FAKE: This screen grab of The Star about a female governor to be named deputy president is fabricated appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

This post on X(formerly Twitter) accompanied by images purportedly showing police officers brutally attacking a man in Kware, Pipeline area of Embakasi in Nairobi, is FALSE. 

The post, shared on July 13, 2024, was accompanied by three images showing a man being attacked by a police dog and police officers. Other police officers are also captured in the background. 

The post reads: “Breaking news: If this post appears on your timeline kindly retweet. These are pictures from the quarry yesterday. This police have an inhuman act. Let us expose them. This is Totally unacceptable(sic).” 

The post and photos were linked to the discovery of bodies that had been found dumped at Kware dumpsite in Nairobi’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums on July 12, 2024. Police officers dispersed a crowd which was furious and shocked at the discovery of bodies that were dismembered, wrapped in sacks, and black polythene bags.

(Viewer discretion is advised)

The post emerged following this turn of events claiming that the man in the photo was caught and brutally beaten by the police officers in the Mukuru Kwa Njenga area and was shared amidst widespread anti-government protests in Kenya where protestors accused the police of brutality and called out the government over its inaction in reigning in the police force over the violence.  

WOKN looked into the post and found, through reverse search image, that the pictures(also archived here) were first shared on December 13, 2014 by Kenyan activist and photographer Boniface Mwangi under the hashtag ‘KOTSecurityLaws’.  Mwangi noted that the photos had been taken in Mathare, Nairobi. 

This fact-check was written by Woman Kenya Network fact-checker Trizah Mmwanda and edited by Woman Kenya Project lead Shadrack Agamira.The article was approved for publishing by…

This fact-check was produced by Woman Kenya Network, under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).

Woman Kenya ) is a distinguished digital media company committed to advancing gender equality and promoting the equitable participation of women and girls in society.

Launched in 2018, WOKN has grown into a fully-fledged digital media platform with a vibrant social media presence on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Our platforms have become a trusted and reliable source of information on gender-sensitive content covering diverse thematic areas including Politics, Climate, Peace and Security, Gender Justice, Health, Economic Empowerment, and SRHR as guided by SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  We use the media to advocate for gender equality, promote just portrayal, and amplify women’s voices in society.

The post FALSE: These images of police attacking a civilian were not taken in Mukuru Kwa Njenga area in July 2024 appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

This post shared on X (formerly Twitter) claiming to show a video of “a presidential private jet” allegedly set on fire by angry Kenyan youth is FALSE.

“Angry Kenyan youth have burnt down a presidential private jet being used by their president. This is the shape of things unfolding in Africa,” reads the text accompanying the video.

Attached to the X post is a video of a commentator explaining events happening in Kenya.

“Private jet on fire. Kenyan youth just set their president’s private jet on fire,” the man is heard saying.

The video has a split screen showing an individual speaking on the left and footage of the alleged Kenya president’s private jet bursting into flames.

To find out if that information is accurate, PesaCheck performed an image reverse search of the plane’s thumbnail. Results led PesaCheck to videos as seen here, here, here, here, and here. According to the videos, the plane that was set on fire by Kenyan protesters was a stationary plane based at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyans.co.ke also shared the video of a blazing plane on 25 June 2024.

A Google Street View search confirms that the white and blue plane was based at Uhuru Park. The plane is labelled “EY-534”, the same code on the torched plane in the video under investigation. These two publications reported that the plane was operated by Jubba Airways for 35 years before it was left at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in 2012. The plane was one of the planes planned for auction in November 2021 for $3,655.10.

According to local news publications, the plane was towed into the park on 5 August 2021. Those who unloaded the plane said that it would likely be converted into a small hotel. The plane was part of the Uhuru Park facelift done by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) which began in September 2021.

Other than the video of the plane on fire, the clip under review also has other video clips such as an article claiming that Kenyan President William Ruto hired a $1.5M private jet for a trip to the United States which was shared by this publication. President Ruto defended himself by saying it cost Kenya’s taxpayers less than $80,000. The claim under review also features a clip showing Molo MP Kimani Kuria’s property being vandalised for voting Yes, which PesaCheck found to be true. The video also features another clip of Chieni Supermarket in Nyeri being looted which is also true. It is also true that Kenyan protesters invaded parliament on 25 June 2024.

Starting on 18 June 2024, a section of Kenyans across the country took to the streets to demonstrate against the Finance Bill 2024. Despite the demonstrations in at least 35 counties in the country, the Members of Parliament passed the bill on 25 June 2024. Following the unrest in the country, Ruto declined to assent to the Bill and sent it back to parliament with the recommendation that all the clauses be deleted.

PesaCheck has looked into a post shared on X claiming to show a video of a presidential private jet which was allegedly set on fire by angry Kenyan youth and found it to be FALSE.

This post was first published on the PesaCheck website. It is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. They do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.

The post FALSE: This video does not show a presidential private jet that was set ablaze by Kenyan youth appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

This Taifa Leo cover dated 12 December 2023 with the headline “Aisha Aisha” is ALTERED.

The newspaper cover features a photo of Aisha Jumwa, the former Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, The Arts and Heritage.

Above the headline is a sentence reading, “Ni kinaya kwamba miaka 60 tangu Kenya itawazwe kuwa nchi huru bado inazongwa na matatizo mengi ya kimsingi (It is ironic that 60 years since Kenya was crowned as an independent country, it is still beset by many fundamental problems).”

The newspaper cover went viral on 12 July 2024, a day after President William Ruto dismissed most of his cabinet members.

PesaCheck performed a keyword search on Google and came across the original 12 December 2023 Taifa Leo cover. The authentic cover had a different headline and photo. The headline on the legitimate cover reads, “Jamhuri Kavu”.

There is a subheading reading, “Changamoto: Njaa, ukosefu wa elimu kwa wote, gharama ya juu ya matibabu na ukosefu wa ajira bado ni matatizo yanayohangaisha idadi kubwa ya Wakenya [Challenges: Hunger, lack of education for all, high medical costs and unemployment are still problems that concern a large number of Kenyans]”.

However, aside from the headline, subheading, and main photo, all other short stories at the top and bottom are identical in both the authentic and edited newspaper covers. Additionally, the sentence above the main headline appears on both versions.

PesaCheck also contacted Taifa Leo Digital Editor Fatuma Bariki, who confirmed in a WhatsApp message that the cover in question is “fake.”

Taifa Leo also flagged the newspaper cover in question as fake on their official social media page.

Following President Ruto’s decision to dismiss his cabinet, four additional fake Taifa Leo covers targeting former Tourism and Wildlife CS Alfred Mutua, former Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts CS Ababu Namwamba, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and economic adviser David Ndii were shared online. However, the publication disowned them here and here.

PesaCheck has looked into a Taifa Leo Newspaper cover dated 12 December 2023 with the headline “Aisha Aisha” and found it to be ALTERED.

This post was first published on the PesaCheck website. It is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. They do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.

The post ALTERED: This Taifa Leo Newspaper cover with the headline “Aisha Aisha” is not authentic appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

A website submitted for fact-checking via PesaCheck’s WhatsApp Tipline and shared on Facebook, purporting to run a petition to cancel Kenya’s 2024 Finance Bill, is a HOAX.

The post reads, “*SIGN PETITION TO CANCEL THE FINANCE BILL KENYA*_ Save Our Sociey By Signing Petition and get justice for * Rex* _ *SIGN PETITION*”

PesaCheck intentionally filled in random details, and they were accepted. However, to submit the signature, the next step asks the applicant to share the link on WhatsApp — a common feature of online scams.

This section includes the logo of change.org, a website that allows users to create and sign petitions to advance various social causes globally.

A WHOIS domain search shows that the website was registered on 27 May 2024 in Iceland (IS).

A search on the Change.org website using the keywords “finance bill Kenya” established that there is a petition titled “CANCEL THE FINANCE BILL Kenya, 2024.”

The petition started on 15 June 2024 by a ‘Kenyan activist’ has garnered 111,173 signatures.

Kenya’s proposed Finance Bill 2024, creates tax hikes and has attracted anti-tax protests countrywide, with demonstrators calling on the Bill to be scrapped. The government on 18 June 2024 said the Bill will be amended to remove the proposed 16 per cent VAT on bread, drop taxes on transportation of sugar, financial services, foreign exchange transactions and the 2.5 per cent Motor Vehicle Tax.

Amid the 20 June 2024 protests, the National Assembly voted to pass the bill to its second reading by a vote of 204 to 115. The amendments to the bill will be considered in the House on 25 June 2024.

PesaCheck has looked into a website submitted for fact-checking via PesaCheck’s WhatsApp Tipline and shared on Facebook, purporting to run a petition to cancel Kenya’s 2024 finance bill, and finds it to be a HOAX.

This post was first published on the PesaCheck website. It is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.

By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. They do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.

The post HOAX: This website running a petition to cancel Kenya’s 2024 Finance Bill is a sham appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.

A TikTok video of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin purportedly delivering a speech in support of anti-finance bill protests in Kenya has been ALTERED. 

The clip of Putin speaking in Russian is captioned: “KWISHA!!, support from Russia, #rejectfinancebill” and was posted on the video-sharing platform amidst protests in Kenya to reject the Finance Bill 2024 led by the youth.

Another caption in swahili at the bottom of the video translates to: “What should we ask for? And who will be our spokesperson?”  

The subtitles in the video, accompanied by a voice-over translation, allege that Putin is congratulating Kenyan youth for their bravery and pledged support for the movement. 

Currently, the economy in many countries is not good but I would like to talk about one country in Africa, specifically East Africa, called Kenya. There have been demonstrations about rejecting this year’s Finance Bill and guess who is leading the demonstrations – Gen Z. I am very proud of the youth in that country because they have unity and one voice and as Russia, we only congratulate the brave,” the translation reads.

According to the clip, Putin further states:: “I know it does not concern me but I support them and will offer to help them with anything they need while demonstrating. Get a spokesman and contact me via the Russian embassy, whatever you need, or to deal with the harassment from the authorities.”    

However, our investigation established that the video was  altered to include Putin’s supposed support of the protests in Kenya. 

Using a reverse image search of a screenshot from the clip, Woman Kenya Network (WOKN) found the original video on the United Kingdom’s broadcasting channel, Sky News YouTube channel. 

The translation of Putin’s message in the TikTok video under our scrutiny was altered and  is unrelated to the information in the original video captured during the Victory Day Parade on May 9, 2023 in Moscow. 

Woman Kenya Network did an independent Google translate, and this is what he said” However, Western globalist elites continue to talk about their exclusivity, pit people against each other and split societies, provoke bloody conflicts and coups, sow hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism, and destroy family and traditional values ​​that make us human.” He continued, “We are proud of the participants in the special operation, all those who fight on the front line, those who deliver goods to the front and save the wounded under fire. Your combat activity is now of paramount importance. The security of the country, the future of our statehood and our people depend on you today.”

In the original clip, the Russian President accused the West of Russophobia. Putin’s sentiments were also reported here and here.

This fact-check was written by Woman Kenya Network fact-checker Trizah Mmwanda and edited by Woman Kenya Project Lead Shadrack Agamira.

This fact-check was produced by Woman Kenya Network, under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA). 

Woman Kenya Network is a distinguished digital media company committed to advancing gender equality and promoting the equitable participation of women and girls in society. 

Launched in 2018, WOKN has grown into a fully-fledged digital media platform with a vibrant social media presence on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Our platforms have become a trusted and reliable source of information on gender-sensitive content covering diverse thematic areas including Politics, Climate, Peace and Security, Gender Justice, Health, Economic Empowerment, and SRHR as guided by SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  We use the media to advocate for gender equality, promote just portrayal, and amplify women’s voices in society.

The post ALTERED: Russian president Vladimir Putin did not back anti-Finance Bill protests In Kenya  appeared first on Woman Kenya Network.