IN SHORT: According to this graphic, Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga was offered money and positions in government to support deputy president Rigathi Gachagua’s dramatic impeachment. But the graphic is fabricated.
Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga was offered money and government positions to support the impeachment of deputy president Rigathi Gachagua. That’s according to a graphic making the rounds on social media in Kenya.
“Raila’s KSh 3 Billion AU Campaign Fund, Cabinet Position, and Speaker Deal Sealed Gachagua's Impeachment,” the graphic reads.
It includes the logo of the Kenyan news site Nation Africa, implying that they published it.
The graphic was posted alongside a statement claiming that Kenyan president William Ruto met Odinga in the United States, where the offers were made. Odinga allegedly received part of the money from Ruto’s “associates” days later, with the rest to be paid after Gachagua’s impeachment.
The statement added that Odinga had demanded the positions of interior minister and national assembly speaker to support Gachagua’s impeachment.
The African Union Commission (AUC) is the secretariat of the African Union and manages the day-to-day activities of the 55-country bloc. It is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In September 2024, the Kenyan government officially announced Odinga as its candidate for the position of AUC chair.
Odinga is among the four candidates seeking to replace Moussa Faki Mahamat when his second and final term ends in 2024. The chairperson is elected for a four-year term, renewable once. The next election for the position is set to take place in February 2025.
On 17 October, senators voted to impeach Gachagua, as the national assembly had done a week earlier. He faced several charges, including corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and undermining Ruto’s government. Gachagua insists he’s innocent and is challenging his dismissal in court.
But is the graphic legit? We checked.
Ignore fake graphic
There are red flags on the circulating graphic. The date on it reads: “Oct 22, 2024.” Normally, the publication writes the date in full as “October 22, 2024”. The font style on the circulating graphic also doesn’t match the one on legit graphics.
Most of the words on the graphic in question start with capital letters. But genuine graphics have text in lower case, except for the first few words at the beginning of the first sentence or when mentioning names or titles.
A search of Nation Africa’s social media pages did not bring up the graphic. Instead, on 22 October, Nation Africa posted a blurred version of the same graphic, labelled “fake”.
“FAKE NEWS ALERT! Please be advised that this card doing rounds on social media is fake,” it cautioned its readers.
The graphic in question is fake and should be ignored.
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