Africa Check rejects fabricated Uhuru endorsement of Sifuna

Graphics claiming that Uhuru Kenyatta has dismissed Fred Matiang’i’s presidential prospects and endorsed Edwin Sifuna are fabricated, according to a fact-check published by Africa Check on 18 September.

Researcher Dancan Bwire reported that Africa Check found no credible reporting supporting the supposed pronouncement. The organisation traced the quote to the Facebook page Kenya News Flash, which it identified as a source of earlier fabricated political statements.

The graphic should therefore not be treated as evidence of a change in Kenyatta’s political backing. Nor does attaching a recognisable politician’s photograph or a news-style layout establish that the words are authentic.

The correction matters for coverage of both Matiang’i and Sifuna as opposition figures position themselves for 2027. A purported endorsement can change the impression readers form of negotiations even when no such announcement has been made.

This report attributes the verification to Africa Check. Any future endorsement should be checked against an original statement, recording or reliable account of the event, rather than inferred from recycled social-media artwork.