A screenshot of what seems to be a Facebook post by Kenyan MP Joshua Kutuny expressing support for deputy president William Ruto’s bid for the presidency has itself been shared on Facebook.
Posted on 31 July 2020, it shows a photo of Ruto and Kutuny laughing and smiling together.
“We are going into a battlefield and it’s either we win or win this,” the text reads. “Hustlers are now breeding like rabbits and for this fact, I’m joining hustler nation to bring this thing home.” The screenshot has also been widely spread on WhatsApp.
Ruto repeatedly uses “hustlers” and “hustler nation” as political branding in his campaign for president in Kenya’s 2022 elections.
Kutuny has been a fierce critic of the deputy president. Has he now changed his mind? We checked.
The photo of Ruto and Kutuny together is not recent. Using a TinEye reverse image search, we found that it has been online since at least April 2018.
On the same day the screenshot was shared, Kutuny posted it on his genuine Facebook page – stamped “FAKE ACCOUNT IGNORE!!!!!”
He wrote: “I wish to bring to the attention of the General Members of the Public that there is a Fake Facebook account operating under my official names and title.
“I want to categorically distance myself from the Fake Facebook account together with posts and articles being circulated under the Fake Facebook account purporting to have emanated from me. Kindly just ignore the fake account.” – Grace Gichuhi
Posted on 31 July 2020, it shows a photo of Ruto and Kutuny laughing and smiling together.
“We are going into a battlefield and it’s either we win or win this,” the text reads. “Hustlers are now breeding like rabbits and for this fact, I’m joining hustler nation to bring this thing home.” The screenshot has also been widely spread on WhatsApp.
Ruto repeatedly uses “hustlers” and “hustler nation” as political branding in his campaign for president in Kenya’s 2022 elections.
Kutuny has been a fierce critic of the deputy president. Has he now changed his mind? We checked.
Old photo and fake account
The photo of Ruto and Kutuny together is not recent. Using a TinEye reverse image search, we found that it has been online since at least April 2018.
On the same day the screenshot was shared, Kutuny posted it on his genuine Facebook page – stamped “FAKE ACCOUNT IGNORE!!!!!”
He wrote: “I wish to bring to the attention of the General Members of the Public that there is a Fake Facebook account operating under my official names and title.
“I want to categorically distance myself from the Fake Facebook account together with posts and articles being circulated under the Fake Facebook account purporting to have emanated from me. Kindly just ignore the fake account.” – Grace Gichuhi
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Further Reading
[email protected]: The challenges of working across Africa
Misinformation knows no borders and Africa Check often responds to similar false claims from country to country.
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