IN SHORT: According to some social media posts, the Standard newspaper’s 3 June 2025 issue exposed a bribery syndicate led by the Kenya Police Service's Eliud Lagat. But there is no such article from the news outlet; the front page has been fabricated.
According to the headline of what appears to be the front page of Kenya’s Standard newspaper, the publication has exposed a well-organised bribery syndicate benefiting Eliud Lagat, the head of the Kenya Police Service (KPS).
The front page, dated 3 June 2025, is circulating on social media in Kenya with the headline: “The Mafia Cop!”
The subheadline reads: “The Standard has uncovered a well organised syndicate in the police headed by DIG Eliu Langat. The syndicate comprises of 12 Nairobi police base commanders that channel over Shs Shs.100 million monthly to Mr.Langat.”
The amount translates to US$770,000 at current rates.
Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS) is headed by the inspector general Douglas Kanja. It consists of the KPS, headed by Lagat and the Administration Police Service under Gilbert Masengeli. Both were sworn in on 25 July 2024.
The circulating front page emerged amid ongoing public concerns about police corruption. In recent years, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested officers caught extorting money from citizens. Public trust in the police remains low, with surveys consistently ranking the service as one of the most corrupt institutions in Kenya.
Following an activist's death in police custody in a case in which he was the complainant, Lagat is facing scrutiny.
This particular front page attempts to link Lagat to allegations of mega corruption within the police force. But is it genuine? We checked.
Fake front page
Africa Check compared the circulating front page with a genuine one from the Standard newspaper and noted that the fonts were significantly different.
The Standard typically 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 these accounts and found the original 3 June 2025 issue of the newspaper.
The genuine headline reads: “Weston arm twist.” It discusses the rot in public institutions.
On 6 June, the newspaper posted a blurred version of the manipulated front page, with the word “fake” printed on it.
“FAKE NEWS ALERT: This is NOT a genuine cover of The Standard. Be cautious NOT to fall for propaganda and deep fakes. For GENUINE news updates, VERIFY from our accounts @StandardKenya and @KTNNewsKE,” it warned.
While Lagat is under public scrutiny, this circulating front page is fake and should be ignored.
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