A quote attributed to Rigathi Gachagua, Kenyan presidential candidate William Ruto’s running mate, is circulating on Facebook.
In it, he appears to ask Chama cha Kazi party leader Moses Kuria, Tujibebe Wakenya Party leader William Kabogo and the Service Party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri to leave Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza election alliance.
The quote reads in Kiswahili: “Ati sasa wale watu wa vyama ndogo ndogo kama Moses Kuria, Mwangi Kiunjuri na Kabogo wameanza kutupimia hewa ati watatoka Kenya Kwanza tusipowasikiliza.”
It adds: “Sisi tumewaambia watoke waende wazimie na wenzao uko Azimio. Kwani nyinyi ndio mko na kura pekee yenu, eeh ebu wacheni hiyo mchezo mnataka kuleta hapa kukoroga Kenya Kwanza.”
This translates as: “Those people with small parties like Moses Kuria, Mwangi Kiunjuri and Kabogo have started threatening us that they will leave Kenya Kwanza if we don't listen to them.”
Adding: “We have told them to leave and join Azimio. Are they the only ones with votes? They should stop those games they are bringing to Kenya Kwanza to destabilise it.”
Kenya Kwanza will face the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, led by Orange Democratic Movement leader and presidential candidate Raila Odinga, and four other presidential candidates in the August 2022 general elections.
The quote started circulating just days after Kuria and Kabogo accused Kenya Kwanza of undermining them in their campaigns. Kiunjuri has also raised complaints about the alliance’s leadership.
But has Gachagua told them to leave? We checked.
No sign of harsh quote in mainstream news
Senior political leaders in Kenya are usually careful with their choice of words. Their rivals could easily capitalise on careless remarks to paint them in a bad light and win some of their supporters.
Besides, such harsh sentiments would be picked up by the mainstream media. But no such quote has been broadcast or published.
We also checked Gachagua’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and found nothing.
There is no evidence the politician said this, or that any media house quoted him as saying it.
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Further Reading
A cloudy outlook? What we are learning about election disinformation in Africa and what you can do about it
As nearly a dozen countries prepare to hold presidential elections, the spread of disinformation is inflaming Africa's political landscape.
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