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Kenyan senator Kihika pregnant with deputy president Ruto’s child? No, newspaper front page fake

“SUSAN KIHIKA PREGNANT FOR RUTO,” reads the front page headline of what seems to be the 27 May 2022 issue of the Nairobian, a Kenyan newspaper, circulating on Facebook.

The page shows photos of Kenyan deputy president William Ruto, his wife Rachel Chebet and Nakuru county senator Susan Kihika.

Text below reads: “DAMNING REVELATIONS: A steamy affair brewed at the DP’s Narok Ranch, a pregnancy and an almost Rachael-Kihika fist fight at the Karen residence, one month ago.”

The deputy president’s official residence is in Karen, a suburb of the capital Nairobi. Ruto is running for president in Kenya’s upcoming elections, set for 9 August.

The front page has been posted here, here, here, here and here. It’s dated 27 May to 2 June 2022. The Nairobian is a weekly newspaper published every Friday by the Standard Group.

But is this really a Nairobian front page? We checked.

Nairobian_Fake

‘This is NOT a genuine cover of the Nairobian weekly’

The front page has been altered. We found the original of the paper’s 27 May to 2 June issue on the Standard Group website.

The legit headline reads: “MIGORI OPENS ‘GREEN LODGE’.” The summary adds: “DIFFERENT STROKES: Chief complains randy goats are behaving like dogs, leaving used condoms, bras and knickers in the bushes.”

The real front page doesn’t mention Ruto or Kihika.

On the day the altered page started circulating online, the Nairobian posted it on Facebook, stamped “FAKE!”

“FAKE NEWS ALERT: This is NOT a genuine cover of the Nairobian weekly newspaper,” the paper wrote. “It is a manipulated front page. Be cautious NOT to fall for political propaganda and deep fakes during this electioneering season. For GENUINE newspaper front pages, follow @StandardKenya.”

The Standard Group has also dismissed it as fake.

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