Kenya: No, President Ruto Did Not Urge Kenyans to Continue 'Killing Gay People' - Online Graphic Is Fake

Cia Pak/UN Photo
President William Ruto (file photo).
11 January 2023
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Tess Wandia

IN SHORT: The killing of a gay rights activist has occupied public debate in Kenya in January 2023. But the country's president did not controversially call for the killing of gay people.

A graphic shared on Facebook claims that Kenyan president William Ruto has called for the killing of gay people.

"President Ruto urges Kenyans to continue killing Gay people until they go extinct," text on the graphic reads.

The graphic, posted on 9 January 2023, shows a photo of Ruto and the logo of Kenyans.co.ke, a digital news outlet, implying it was published by them.

The claim comes in the wake of the gruesome murder of LGBTQI activist Edwin Chiloba in the Rift Valley town of Eldoret in western Kenya.

LGBTQI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex.

Homosexuality remains criminalised in Kenya.

The graphic has also been shared here, here, here, here and here.

But did Kenya's president really call for the killing of gay people? We checked.

The graphic is fabricated, not published by Kenyans.co.ke

Mainstream media have not reported what would be a controversial and newsworthy statement by the president. This means it's highly unlikely Ruto said anything like it.

Kenyans.co.ke confirmed to Africa Check that the graphic had been fabricated and was not published by them. This graphic and quote should be ignored.

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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