Kenya: Ignore Fake Graphic Claiming Kenyan Governor Warned of No Salaries After Country’s Taxation Controversy

IN SHORT: A graphic with a fake quote attributed to Kirinyaga county governor and council of governors chair, Anne Waiguru, has been circulating amid the Finance Bill 2024 controversy.

A graphic circulating on Facebook in Kenya attributes a controversial quote to Anne Waiguru, the governor of Kirinyaga county.

Kirinyaga is 110 kilometres from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.

The quote reads: “Consequences of not passing Finance Bill 2024: County government staff to go without salaries in July.”

The graphic shows a photo of Waiguru and carries the logo and branding of local news site Kenyans.co.ke.

Kenya’s controversial Finance Bill 2024 sparked demonstrations over proposed tax increases and new levies. Protesters stormed parliament, forcing president William Ruto to withdraw the bill.

The graphic has been published here, here and here.

But did Waiguru, who is also the chair of the country’s council of governors, really say that county government workers would go without pay in July as a result of the withdrawal of the bill? We checked.

Fake graphic

We found no news coverage of the quote, although such a statement would be widely reported in Kenya, given the controversy over the bill.

The graphic is also not posted on the Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) accounts of Kenyans.co.ke. On 2 July 2024, the publication said the graphic was inauthentic.

“This post did not emanate from our media house. We flag it as FAKE. For official communication from Kenyans.co.ke, always visit the official website and verified social media pages,” Kenyans.co.ke wrote.