A screenshot of what seems to be a Twitter spat between controversial Canada-based Kenyan lawyer Miguna Miguna and Dennis Itumbi, the digital strategist for Kenyan deputy president William Ruto’s presidential campaign, was posted on Facebook in November 2021.
The first tweet appears to be by Miguna. It reads: “Let me make this clear some people in UDA think I support @WilliamsRuto just because I mention despot Uhuru Kenyatta and conman @Raila Odinga doesn’t mean I associate myself with corrupt individuals who loot day and night. UDA is full of looters and I can’t associate myself with them period.”
The UDA is the United Democratic Alliance, a party associated with the deputy president. Uhuru Kenyatta is Kenya’s president, and Raila Odinga an opposition leader also likely to run in the August 2022 presidential election.
The second tweet, Itumbi’s supposed response to Miguna, reads: “@MigunaMiguna who told you we need a failure like you in Fact we don’t need even an inch of you in UDA and you ask yourself why you are suffering your arrogance will not help you archive anything.”
But is the screenshot of a real Twitter exchange between Miguna and Itumbi?
‘Even Photoshop needs a little THINKING’
An online search for the text in the tweets returned no results. We also searched both Miguna and Itumbi’s verified Twitter accounts, but could not find the original of either tweet.
But on 16 November, Itumbi posted the screenshot on Twitter, calling it fake. He tweeted: “Fake News Inc. This @MigunaMiguna Screenshot was taken at 20:20, but according to the guys who created the lie, the Tweet was made at 20:27, 7 minutes after the Screenshot was captured & TWO Minutes after I tweeted it! Even Photoshop needs a little THINKING.”
Yaani watu wa KIELEWEKE Fake News Inc.This @MigunaMiguna Screenshot was taken at 20:20, but according to the guys who created the lie, the Tweet was made at 20:27, 7 minutes after the Screenshot was captured & TWO Minutes after I tweeted it! Even Photoshop needs a little THINKING pic.twitter.com/tbD9MLeN1A
— Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) November 16, 2021
Miguna had a similar response, posting the screenshot on Twitter with an angry comment.
“Despot Uhuru Kenyatta, Conman @RailaOdinga: Tell the NIS and your bloggers to stop creating FAKE accounts and publishing FICTION in my name. You are desperate, but try to use your brain,” he tweeted.
Despot Uhuru Kenyatta, Conman @RailaOdinga: Tell the NIS and your bloggers to stop creating FAKE accounts and publishing FICTION in my name. You are desperate, but try to use your brain. pic.twitter.com/ug1c0pNEdI
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) November 16, 2021
The screenshot of the tweets is fake.
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