IN SHORT: A graphic circulating online claims that Abdi Mohamud, the CEO of Kenya’s anti-graft body, has hinted that 16 governors could be investigated for corruption. However, the claim is false and the graphic should be disregarded.
On 19 August 2025, Kenyan president William Ruto established a multi-agency team to help fight corruption and economic crime in the country. He said the team would unify government efforts to combat these issues.
A few days after the announcement, a graphic quoting Abdi Mohamud, the chief executive of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), began circulating on social media.
According to the graphic, Mohamud said the commission had been set up to investigate 16 governors.
“Governors chanting TUTAM thinks that will save them from corruption cases. The president has declared war on corruption and 16 files are ready for investigations,” the graphic reads. It features Mohamud’s photo.
The EACC is a Kenyan government agency tasked with fighting corruption, economic crime and unethical behaviour.
“TUTAM” is a deliberate misspelling of “two terms”, a common slogan used by Ruto’s supporters. It expresses their view that he should serve two terms as president. According to the Kenyan constitution, a president can serve a maximum of two five-year terms.
Ruto’s administration faced deadly anti-government protests in 2024 and 2025, which were mainly led by young people demanding better governance. Protesters often chanted slogans such as “Ruto Must Go” and “one term”, implying that he should resign or serve a single term in office.
Kenya has 47 counties, each led by a governor. The commission has previously summoned both sitting and former governors to respond to corruption-related accusations.
But is the claim to be trusted? We checked.
Claim is false
Corruption allegations involving both current and former governors often make headlines in the local news. However, we found no such reports from credible news outlets in the country.
The EACC regularly updates Kenyans on summons and arrests through its social media accounts, including Facebook and X. We searched these accounts and found no evidence supporting the claim.
On 23 August 2025, the commission posted the graphic on its social media accounts with the word “FAKE” stamped across it.
The claim is false and should be ignored.
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