Kenya: No, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Wandayi Didn’t Say Opposition Party Will Nominate a Woman for Deputy President – Viral Graphic Fabricated

No, Kenyan cabinet secretary Wandayi didn’t say opposition party will nominate a woman for deputy president – viral graphic fabricated

IN SHORT: According to a graphic circulating on social media, Kenyan cabinet secretary for energy Opiyo Wandayi has hinted that the opposition party will nominate a woman after deputy president Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment. But the graphic is fake

A graphic making the rounds on social media in Kenya attributes a quote to Kenyan cabinet secretary for energy and petroleum Opiyo Wandayi.

In the quote, Wandayi appears to suggest that once Rigathi Gachagua is impeached as deputy president, the main opposition party in Kenya, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), will nominate a female candidate for the position.

“I am sure our political partnership will hold strong beyond 2027. We have agreed to work with President Ruto, and once the impeachment of Deputy President Gachagua is through, ODM will nominate a woman for Deputy President. We hope she will be unveiled during Mashujaa Day Celebrations in Kwale,” reads the graphic.

It features the logo of the digital news outlet Kenyans.co.ke, implying that they published it.

Mashujaa Day, Kiswahili for Heroes’ Day, is celebrated annually on 20 October to pay tribute to those who took part in Kenya’s struggle for independence. The 2024 celebrations were held in Kwale county in southern Kenya.

After sustained anti-government protests in June and July 2024, Kenyan president William Ruto sacked almost his entire cabinet. He later included opposition members in his new cabinet in what he called a “broad-based” government. Wandayi was among them.

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Before the opposition’s inclusion in government, Gachagua was critical of opposition leader Raila Odinga and accused him of destabilising previous governments. He vowed never to allow him in government.

The graphic came as Gachagua was facing an impeachment trial. On 17 October, senators voted to impeach him, as did the national assembly just days before. He was accused of inciting ethnic divisions, corruption and undermining Ruto’s government.

Some of those who posted the graphic claimed that Ruto and Odinga’s political pact was a scheme to get rid of Gachagua.

But is the graphic legit? We checked.

Another fake graphic

Kenyans.co.ke often posts its graphics on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Africa Check searched for the graphic on the accounts and came up empty.

On 14 October, the media outlet posted the circulating graphic on social media, with the word “fake” printed in red.

“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,” the news agency wrote.

Wandayi also posted the graphic on his X account, saying it was fake. Ruto has since nominated Kenya’s interior minister Kithure Kindiki as Gachagua’s replacement.

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