A photo doing the rounds on Facebook in April 2022 shows Kenyan deputy president William Ruto meeting Wiper Democratic Movement party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
In the photo, the two appear to be in conversation.
Facebook users posting the photo suggest it shows Musyoka meeting Ruto during iftar at Ruto’s official residence in Karen, Nairobi on 20 April 2022.
Iftar is the meal eaten by Muslims after sunset to break the day’s fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ruto leads the Kenya Kwanza political alliance and is running for president in the August 2022 general elections.
Musyoka’s party is in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, led by Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga. Odinga’s bid for president is supported by incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta.
There is ongoing debate on who will run as Odinga’s deputy. This is fuelling speculation that Musyoka would join Ruto if he was not considered for the position.
But does this photo show Musyoka and Ruto meeting on 20 April 2022? We checked.
Photo from iftar in 2018
A reverse image search of the photo revealed it was published by a local media outlet on 14 May 2019.
Although the photo has since been removed, a caption still indicates it was taken in 2018.
A further search led us to a tweet from Ruto with similar photos, showing him and Musyoka dressed in the same outfits, posted on 13 June 2018.
The tweet reads: “During Iftar dinner, Nairobi County.”
While Ruto held a similar iftar event at his official residence on 20 April 2022 and posted photos on Facebook, none of the photos show him with Musyoka. The photo of the two men circulating on social media is from 2018.
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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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