IN SHORT: The headline in a screenshot circulating on social media says that Jane Marriott, former British high commissioner to Kenya, was fired over rigging allegations in Kenya’s August 2022 elections. However, these allegations are false.
“UK fires its Ambassador to Kenya Jane Marriott after she was implicated in rigging Raila in favour of Ruto in the 2022 election,” reads the headline in a screenshot circulating on social media.
The screenshot appears to be of a social media post or article from Kenyan gossip news site, the Daily Post, and is dated 20 April 2023.
Jane Marriott is the British high commissioner to Pakistan, a role she’s held since July 2023. Before that, she was British high commissioner to Kenya.
The claim is shared in Pakistan, with the insinuation that she is not fit to be envoy to that country.
William Ruto won Kenya’s August 2022 presidential election, beating opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The screenshot has been posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
But was Marriott really fired for being accused of rigging Kenya’s August 2022 election in favour of Ruto? We checked.
Media house got it wrong
Africa Check reached out to the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Kenya to ask whether Marriott was fired, as the headline claims. An FCDO representative said: “Please note Jane was not fired and the Daily Post has now changed the headline after we requested a correction.”
The headline of the Daily Post article has since been changed: “UK announces change in Ambassador to Kenya.”
The rumour that Marriott was fired for contributing to election irregularities in Kenya’s August 2022 polls is false and should be ignored. The headline in the screenshot circulating on social media was amended.
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