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Tweet on corruption from Ruto supporter, not by Kenya’s deputy president

A screenshot of what seems to be a tweet on corruption by Kenya’s deputy president, William Ruto, has been shared on Facebook.

The tweet, dated 19 February 2020, reads: “It is very easy to win the fight against CORRUPTION. Why are we not winning yet? Because we’re not fighting CORRUPTION, We are fighting ‘RUTO’. Can we focus a little bit on the real thing?”

The post is captioned: “Tell them my fifth President.” Kenya has had four presidents.

A criminal case involving a fake military equipment tender worth billions of shillings is currently gripping the nation. The scammers are reported to have used the deputy president’s offices. Ruto has denied any involvement, but the controversy rages on.



Tweet from supporter account, not deputy president


The Twitter handle in the screenshot is @DpWilliamSRuto. But Ruto’s official handle is @WilliamsRuto.

Africa Check traced the tweet to a fan account. In the bio, the user is clear that the account is not officially affiliated with Ruto. 

The account is also not verified, unlike Ruto’s official account. 

The tweet shared on Facebook is real, but not by Ruto. It was written by a supporter unaffiliated with the deputy president.

Ruto did not “tell them” anything in the tweet, as the Facebook user claimed. – Dancan Bwire




 

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