“Uhuru to dissolve cabinet.” That’s the dramatic headline of what seems to be the front page of Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper for 13 August 2020, posted on Facebook.
Uhuru Kenyatta is Kenya’s president. A cabinet is a group of government leaders who advise a head of state. Kenya’s cabinet is made up of the president, deputy president, attorney general and cabinet secretaries, who head national government departments.
Text below the headline reads: “A combination of changing political dynamics, power balancing and desire to secure the president’s legacy have made recomposition of his core team a matter of urgency.”
On 14 January Kenyatta reshuffled his cabinet. And on 14 August he sent them on a two week “working leave”. Is he now planning to dissolve it entirely? Or is this just another case of a fake front page?
Using the Daily Nation’s epaper portal, we went in search of its 13 August 2020 edition. We found that the headline for the day’s front page was different.
The real headline is “Secret card in revenue battle”. The text underneath it reads: “Predetermined outcome: Fight over county revenue-sharing formula set to get fiercer amid claims that powerful people linked to handshake are determined to force through a decision favoured by President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.”
The front page posted on Facebook has been doctored. While it is a possibility, the Daily Nation did not report that Kenyatta planned to dissolve his cabinet. – Grace Gichuhi
Uhuru Kenyatta is Kenya’s president. A cabinet is a group of government leaders who advise a head of state. Kenya’s cabinet is made up of the president, deputy president, attorney general and cabinet secretaries, who head national government departments.
Text below the headline reads: “A combination of changing political dynamics, power balancing and desire to secure the president’s legacy have made recomposition of his core team a matter of urgency.”
On 14 January Kenyatta reshuffled his cabinet. And on 14 August he sent them on a two week “working leave”. Is he now planning to dissolve it entirely? Or is this just another case of a fake front page?
Manipulated front page
Using the Daily Nation’s epaper portal, we went in search of its 13 August 2020 edition. We found that the headline for the day’s front page was different.
The real headline is “Secret card in revenue battle”. The text underneath it reads: “Predetermined outcome: Fight over county revenue-sharing formula set to get fiercer amid claims that powerful people linked to handshake are determined to force through a decision favoured by President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.”
The front page posted on Facebook has been doctored. While it is a possibility, the Daily Nation did not report that Kenyatta planned to dissolve his cabinet. – Grace Gichuhi
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