IN SHORT: As Kenya’s former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua mobilises opposition to challenge president William Ruto in the 2027 elections, claims have emerged that the Kamba community has revolted against him. However, these claims are false and based on an altered front page.
Kenya’s former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua is facing opposition from the Kamba community for neglecting them while in office. That is according to what appears to be the front page of Kenya’s Standard newspaper.
Kenyans largely vote along ethnic lines, and as such, ethnicity remains a significant factor in the country’s politics.
The front page, dated 6 June 2025, is circulating on Facebook in Kenya with the headline: “Kamba Revolt: Gachagua Faces Backlash Over Past Neglect.”
According to its summary, his attempt to cozy up to opposition politician Kalonzo Musyoka has been met with public resistance, especially from the Kamba community.
“Many see his sudden interest as political convenience, not genuine alliance-building. The backlash reflects deep resentment over past exclusion and a warning that voters haven’t forgotten,” it reads.
Musyoka, who comes from the Kamba community and is widely considered its kingpin, is the leader of the Wiper Democratic Movement party. He comes from Kitui county, located east of the capital, Nairobi. Kitui is one of the three counties in Kenya that is predominantly inhabited by the Kamba community. The other two counties are Makueni and Machakos.
Musyoka served as Kenya’s vice president from 2008 to 2010, and has been a prominent opposition figure for many years. He has declared that he will run for president in the country’s 2027 elections.
Gachagua served as Kenya’s deputy president from 2022 until his impeachment in October 2024 following a fallout with president William Ruto. He accused Ruto of orchestrating his political troubles and has since mobilised opposition in a bid to unseat him in the upcoming elections.
Gachagua comes from the Kikuyu community and strives to be recognised as the de facto leader of the Mount Kenya region, which refers to areas in central Kenya traditionally inhabited by the populous Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities.
Gachagua and Musyoka have been working together and have vowed to unite leaders from other regions to challenge Ruto.
But is the front page legit? We checked.
Fake front page
Africa Check compared the circulating front page with a genuine one from the Standard newspaper and noted significant differences in their fonts.
For example, the font used for the headline in the circulating front page is smaller, and the first letters are capitalised. On an authentic Standard front page, the font is larger, and words typically appear in lowercase except for the first word and proper nouns.
The Standard newspaper usually posts digital versions of its front pages on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X, as well as on its e-paper platform. We searched the accounts and the platform and found the original issue from 6 June.
The original headline reads: “End of free education.” It reports that Kenyan parents and guardians may soon have to start paying school fees in public primary schools after decades of free education.
The circulating front page is almost identical to the original but replaces the headline with “Kamba Revolt: Gachagua Faces Backlash Over Past Neglect”.
The version doing the rounds on social media has been altered.
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
Add new comment