Fact-Checking Desk: Parliament Cleared Kituyi In Sh12M Tender Figure

Compiled by Lucy Mwangi

1. The screenshot below showing a tweet claiming that presidential aspirant Dr Mukhisa Kituyi was summoned by a parliamentary committee on corruption claims immediately he stepped down as the secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development is FAKE. The tweet also purports to show a local daily with the article claiming the summonses were about a Sh12 million tender that cost the taxpayer Sh285 million.

According to the Daily Nation on March 15, 2020, the Public Accounts Committee planned on summoning Dr Kituyi over an organization by the name Tele-News Africa and Atlantic Region. The organization was contracted in 2004 for Sh12 million by the Ministry of Trade to provide consultancy services in advertising and promotion of business opportunities in Kenya on behalf of the government. The organization kept publicizing despite the contract ending on June 9, 2004, with the firm having been paid for the two phases it was contracted for. The Star further explains that Mukhisa Kituyi was cleared of any allegations, with a letter from the clerk of the National Assembly dated July 2, 2018 saying Kituyi was not adversely mentioned in the deal.

2. A Facebook post claiming that Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka secured the release of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from prison is FAKE. The post contains two images. One shows Mr Musyoka with different government officials posing for a photo when they visited Mr Sonko at the Gigiri police station in Nairobi on February 8, 2021. The photo has been published by various news sources, including Kenyans.co.ke and pulselive.co.ke, alongside a story about the visit.

The other photo shows Deputy President William Ruto addressing a gathering. The post praises Mr Kalonzo for securing Mr Sonko’s release and castigates Dr Ruto and his Jubilee faction, dubbed ‘Tangatanga’, for abandoning the former governor at his hour of need.

However, we found no evidence to support the claim that Mr Sonko was released on the date Mr Kalonzo visited him. A Kiambu law court released Mr Sonko on February 9, on a Sh 300,000 bond, and not on February 8, as claimed in the post. Nothing about Mr Sonko’s release was linked to efforts by the former VP.

3. A Facebook post with a video of former United States President Barack Obama endorsing Deputy President William Ruto’s bid for the presidency in 2022 is FAKE. The video, with a station identity of the BBC, shows Mr Obama being invited to unveil a larger than life picture, which ends up being a portrait of DP Ruto. In the video, the speaker does not mention Mr Obama endorsign anyone. The speaker simply invites the former US president to unveil a portrait.

Our online search found that the video is doctored. The original clip is taken from a 2018 portrait-unveiling event that took place at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. We also found the original video as published on the BBC News YouTube channel, which does not have the headline, “Barack Obama unveils his final 2022 presidential candidate endorsement in Kenya”. Instead, it shows a portrait of Mr Obama in the place of the doctored DP Ruto’s photo.

4. A Facebook post with a screenshot of a Citizen TV broadcast, whose headline claimed President Uhuru Kenyatta declared total lockdown on February 14, is FAKE.The picture has turned into a web sensation via social media. However, a reverse image search reveals that the viral image had been altered. We found the original photo has been online since 2018. The photo dates back to July 20, 2018 when the president addressed state officials during a meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). Over the years, several newsrooms have used the same picture to illustrate various articles.

We checked the Citizen TV website and no such news exists in their archive. In addition, neither President Kenyatta nor any official in his administration announced a total lockdown on February 14.