A photo posted on Facebook on 20 May 2020 shows more than a hundred armed men standing on a hillside. The caption claims they are responding to an attack at Kenyan deputy president William Ruto’s home in the east of the country.
It reads: “Someone said Ruttoh cannot organize even a demo in Sugoi! You are wrong and totally wrong. This is what happened when the Sugoi men heard a gunshot in DP's house. Aseme tu jambo on demo [when he orders a demonstration] everything will stand still in the whole nation.”
The post recalls a 29 July 2017 incident where an attacker invaded Ruto’s home compound in Sugoi, in Uasin Gishu County. The man was later killed.
But does the photo show men coming to Ruto’s aid after a gunshot was heard in his house? We checked.
A reverse image search reveals that the photo is 12 years old, posted online long before the July 2017 attack.
It is one of the prize-winning images from the 2009 World Press Photo Awards, published in the UK Guardian in November 2009. World Press Photo describes itself as an independent, nonprofit organisation connecting professionals and audiences through trustworthy visual journalism and storytelling.
The photo, which won first prize in the “People in the news” category, was taken by Yasuyoshi Chiba for Agence France-Presse. We found it on the AFP Forum website.
The caption reads: “Massai warriors pepper a battlefield as they clash with bows and arrows with members of the Kalenjin tribe in the Kapune hill overlooking the Olmelil valley located in the Transmara District in Western Kenya on March 01, 2008.” – Dancan Bwire
It reads: “Someone said Ruttoh cannot organize even a demo in Sugoi! You are wrong and totally wrong. This is what happened when the Sugoi men heard a gunshot in DP's house. Aseme tu jambo on demo [when he orders a demonstration] everything will stand still in the whole nation.”
The post recalls a 29 July 2017 incident where an attacker invaded Ruto’s home compound in Sugoi, in Uasin Gishu County. The man was later killed.
But does the photo show men coming to Ruto’s aid after a gunshot was heard in his house? We checked.
World Press Photo Awards
A reverse image search reveals that the photo is 12 years old, posted online long before the July 2017 attack.
It is one of the prize-winning images from the 2009 World Press Photo Awards, published in the UK Guardian in November 2009. World Press Photo describes itself as an independent, nonprofit organisation connecting professionals and audiences through trustworthy visual journalism and storytelling.
The photo, which won first prize in the “People in the news” category, was taken by Yasuyoshi Chiba for Agence France-Presse. We found it on the AFP Forum website.
The caption reads: “Massai warriors pepper a battlefield as they clash with bows and arrows with members of the Kalenjin tribe in the Kapune hill overlooking the Olmelil valley located in the Transmara District in Western Kenya on March 01, 2008.” – Dancan Bwire
Republish our content for free
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