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No, Kenyan deputy president Ruto’s son not running for parliament

Bonyeza hapa ili kusoma ripoti hii kwa Kiswahili.

A graphic that looks like an election poster is being shared widely on social media in Kenya. It says one “Nick Rutto” is running for parliament in the “Kibera constituency” on the ruling Jubilee Party ticket.

The rumour has spread since the death of Ken Okoth, the MP for the Kibra constituency. Kibra is a part of Nairobi county and includes the large slum of Kibera.

Nick Ruto is the son of Kenyan deputy president William Ruto. He became an advocate in early 2019 and has campaigned on his father’s behalf before.

The election poster includes a photo of Nick Ruto and the motto “Kusema na kutenda”, which means “to speak and act” in Kiswahili.

One Facebook user sharing the image said voters should give Nick Ruto “a piece of your mind”.

Another user asked if Ruto “made the cut” and said that “if you are a resident of Kibra constituency say something”.



Name and constituency misspelled


The first hint that this is false news is that Nick Ruto’s name is spelled incorrectly – his surname is not “Rutto”. Poor spelling is often a clue that information shared online is a hoax.

A second clue is that Okoth was MP for the Kibra constituency, not “Kibera”.

It’s unlikely that the names of both the candidate and the constituency would be misspelled on an official election poster.

Poster ‘inaccurate and inappropriate’


The Jubilee Party’s communications director, Albert Memusi, dismissed the poster.

“The information is inaccurate and... created to paint a bad picture of Nick Ruto,” he told Africa Check. “The residents of Kibra are still mourning and we need to give them space to do so.”

The Kenyan constitution says a by-election must be held within 90 days of a parliamentary seat being vacated.

The speaker of the Kenyan national assembly only declared the Kibra seat vacant on 14 August, more than a week after the poster began circulating. The electoral commission has not announced a date for the by-election and political parties have not yet chosen any candidates. – Dancan Bwire





Hapana, mtoto wa naibu wa rais wa Kenya Ruto hagombei ubunge


Picha inayoonekana kama bango la uchaguzi inasambazwa sana kwenye mitandao ya kijamii nchini Kenya. Inasema “Nick Rutto” anagombea kiti cha ubunge kwenye eneo ubunge la “Kibera” kwa tikiti ya chama kinachotawala cha Jubilee.

Uvumi huo umeenea tangu kifo cha Ken Okoth, aliyekuwa mbunge wa eneo bunge la Kibra. Kibra ni sehemu ya kaunti ya Nairobi na inajumuisha eneo duni kubwa ya Kibera.

Nick Ruto ni mtoto wa naibu wa Rais wa Kenya William Ruto. Alipewa idhini ya kufanya kazi ya uwakili mapema mwaka wa 2019 na alifanya kampeni kwa niaba ya baba yake hapo awali.

Chapisho cha uchaguzi ina picha ya Nick Ruto na maneno za motto “Kusema na kutenda”.

Mtumizi mmoja wa Facebook alichapisha picha hiyo alisema wapiga kura wanapaswa kumpa Nick Ruto “sehemu ya fikira zao”, yaani, kumkemea.

Mtumiaji mwingine aliuliza kama Ruto “alifika kiwango” na kusema kwamba “ikiwa wewe ni mkazi wa Kibra, sema kitu”.



Jina na eneo bunge zimeandikwa na makosa


Dokezo la kwanza kwamba hii ni habari ghushi ni kwamba jina la Nick Ruto limetajwa kimakosa - jina lake sio “Rutto”. Maandiko duni mara nyingi ni kidokezo kwamba habari iliyochapishwa mtandaoni ni ya uongo au utapeli.

Kidokezo cha pili ni kwamba Okoth alikuwa mbunge wa eneo bunge la Kibra, sio “Kibera”.

Uwezekano wa majina ya mgombeaji na wa eneo bunge kuandikwa na makosa kwenye bango rasmi la uchaguzi ni mdogo sana.

Bango ‘sio sahihi na haifai’


Mkurugenzi wa mawasiliano wa chama cha Jubilee, Albert Memusi, alikatalia mbali machapisho hayo.

“Habari hiyo sio sahihi na... imeundwa kwa kuchora picha mbaya ya Nick Ruto,” aliiambia Afrika Check. “Wakaazi wa Kibra bado wanaomboleza na tunahitaji kuwapa nafasi ya kufanya hivyo.”

Katiba ya Kenya inasema uchaguzi mdogo lazima ufanyike ndani ya siku 90 baada ya kiti cha bunge kuachwa wazi.

Spika wa bunge alitangaza kiti cha Kibra wazi wazi mnamo 14 Agosti, zaidi ya wiki moja baada ya chapisho ya bango hii kuanza kuzunguka. Tume wa uchaguzi haijatangaza tarehe ya uchaguzi ndogo na vyama vya siasa bado havijachagua wagombea wowote. – Dancan Bwire




Further reading:

https://africacheck.org/fbcheck/kenyas-deputy-president-ruto-not-diagnosed-with-cancer-hospital-photo-from-2016/

https://africacheck.org/fbcheck/political-rallies-in-kenya-no-photo-shows-crowds-welcoming-algerian-football-champs-home/

https://africacheck.org/fbcheck/no-photo-of-kenyas-deputy-president-manipulated-not-watching-prosecutions-boss-ordering-major-corruption-arrests/

https://africacheck.org/fbcheck/huge-crowd-greeting-kenyas-deputy-president-no-fans-at-1973-rock-concert-in-us/

 

 

 

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