IN SHORT: A dubious Facebook account has previously targeted former Kenyan deputy president Rigathi Gachagua. Its latest fabrication, calling Gachagua “Lord of Violence”, should also be ignored.
Former Kenyan deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has “embraced” violence to remain relevant in Kenyan politics. That's according to the headline of what looks like the 10 April 2025 edition of the Daily Nation, a Kenyan newspaper with national reach.
“Gachagua is Lord of Violence,” it reads.
A summary below the headline goes on to say, in part, that Gachagua has “embraced a new political strategy: violence as visibility” and that “insiders” have claimed that “the commotion isn't just coincidence–it's choreography”.
Political intolerance
The front page appears to refer to several instances where Gachagua has been attacked in public.
On 6 April unidentified people attempted to interrupt a church service he was attending in Nairobi county, but were repelled by his security detail. Gachagua accused president William Ruto’s government of being behind the attack.
The relationship between Gachagua and Ruto has worsened, particularly after Gachagua’s impeachment in October 2024.
Before his impeachment, Gachagua was the one of the most powerful person in Kenya from the Kikuyu community. He was considered the de facto leader of the Mount Kenya region, referring to areas in central Kenya traditionally inhabited by the populous Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities.
But his focus on the region’s politics saw Ruto and his allies accuse him of dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines. Since his impeachment, Gachagua has mobilised opposition against Ruto, working with key opposition figures to form an alliance for the 2027 elections.
Political intolerance in Kenya is not new. When Ruto was deputy president and had fallen out with former president Uhuru Kenyatta, his political functions were also attacked numerous times.
Such attacks are believed to be sponsored by influential politicians in government and are rarely investigated.
The front page has been posted here and here. But is it legit? We checked.
Altered front page
The layout of the circulating front page closely mimics that of a genuine Daily Nation newspaper and even includes the newspaper’s online platform, www.nation.africa. But the publication’s name is written as “Nation Daily”, not “Daily Nation”, a clear indication that something is amiss.
The newspaper usually posts its front pages on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X. We searched the accounts and found the original 10 April issue of the newspaper.
The genuine headline reads: “Ruto-linked firm wins back Sh13bn land.” The fake front page is almost identical to the original but replaces the headline with “Gachagua is Lord of Violence”.
We also identified that the manipulated front page originated with the Facebook page Nation Daily Papers. Africa Check has previously debunked other manipulated front pages published by the same account.
The “Nation Daily” front page is fake and should be ignored.
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