IN SHORT: Months after Rigathi Gachagua was impeached as Kenya’s deputy president, a video went viral supposedly showing president William Ruto criticising and challenging Gachagua. But this is an old clip of Ruto addressing former prime minister Raila Odinga.
A video posted on TikTok shows Kenyan president William Ruto addressing an audience in Kiswahili.
The video bears the logo of the national broadcaster KBC. It is marked as a live event taking place in Kisii, a county in the Nyanza region of Kenya. The text at the bottom of the screen also indicates that it is a live event taking place during Ruto's tour of Kisii.
The video has a Kiswahili caption that roughly translates as: “‘If you have issues, let’s meet in 2027.’ President Ruto warns Rigathi Gachagua.”
The clip is 40 seconds long, and Ruto’s speech can be roughly translated as:
Stop the disrespect, sir. Stop looking down on the common citizens. If you have issues, face me directly. I am ready. And I have told him, the election is now over. Don't come wasting my time. The election is over. If you have something to say, prepare yourself for 2027. Let me focus on serving the citizens. Come 2027, I'll be waiting for you. And in 2027, just know I’ll be fully prepared. Right?
The video has over 1.8 million views, 3,000 comments, 53,500 likes and has been shared over 2,000 times.
The context
Kenya's next general election is constitutionally scheduled for 10 August 2027.
Ruto and his running mate, Rigathi Gachagua, won the 2022 elections against Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua. But a series of events would soon dramatically change the political landscape.
In early 2023, opposition protests over the cost of living, led by Odinga, sparked political tensions. These protests lasted for months, leading to dialogue between the opposition and the government.
Months later, Ruto began campaigning for Odinga to chair the African Union Commission. Later, following further protests led by young Kenyans in 2024 over a proposed finance bill, Odinga and Ruto began to work more closely together, with Ruto appointing members of Odinga's party to his cabinet.
Meanwhile, Ruto appeared to have gradually fallen out with his deputy, leading to Gachagua’s impeachment in October 2024. Kithure Kindiki was later sworn in as the new deputy.
Ruto visited the Kisii region in August 2024. But were Ruto’s remarks directed at Gachagua, as alleged? We checked.
Video from 2023 addressed to Odinga, not Gachagua
A keyword search of Ruto’s statement in the video using related phrases like “Ruto, kama uko na maneno, jipange 2027” led us to the original footage. It was uploaded on 24 March 2023. The TikTok clip is part of this original footage, specifically from 13 to 52 seconds.
During this widely reported speech, Ruto was addressing Odinga, not Gachagua. Ruto was on a three-day tour of the Nyanza region from 23 to 25 March.
In the speech, he criticised Odinga's calls for protests and challenged Odinga to face him in the 2027 elections instead. At the time, Gachagua was still deputy president and was present during the tour. In fact, it was he who invited Ruto to the stage.
The claim that the video shows Ruto criticising Gachagua and challenging him to face him in the 2027 elections is false.
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