Kenyan Deputy Presidential Candidate Gachagua Asked Supporters to Reject Women Leadership? No, Quote Fabricated

23 June 2022
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

A graphic circulating on Facebook attributes a controversial quote to Rigathi Gachagua, running mate to presidential candidate William Ruto in Kenya's August 2022 general elections.

In the quote, Gachagua appears to rally his supporters to reject women leadership.

"Sisi tumekataa uongozi wa wanawake. Wanawake sio agenda Kenya hii," the quote reads, in Kiswahili.

This translates as: "We have rejected women leadership. Women are not an agenda in Kenya."

The graphic featuring the quote appears to have been produced by the news website Kenyans.co.ke.

Ruto and Gachagua lead Kenya Kwanza, a coalition of political parties set up ahead of the elections.

They will face Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga and his would-be deputy Martha Karua, who heads the Narc Kenya party. Odinga and Karua are contesting the elections on the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition ticket.

The graphic has been posted here, here, here, here and here.

But is it legit? We checked.

Graphic fake, quote made up

The graphic can't be found on the Kenyans.co.ke Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Africa Check asked Brian Muuo, the head of social media at Kenyans.co.ke, about the graphic. He said it was fake.

There is no evidence Gachagua said anything like this, or that any other media house quoted him as saying it.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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