Kenya: No, Video Doesn't Show Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu's 'Secret Landing' in Kenya Over Political Crisis

8 August 2023
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
analysis By Makinia Juma Sylvia

IN SHORT: A clip has been posted online with claims that it shows Tanzania's president Suluhu's "secret landing" in Kenya to mediate political crisis talks in that country. However, the clip is that of a different visit to Mwanza, Tanzania, for a cultural event in 2021.

Kenya held general elections on 9 August 2022 and William Ruto was later declared president by the country's electoral commission.

The man he beat, long-time politician and presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, rejected Ruto's victory. Since then, Odinga has led crippling nationwide protests against the government.

Ruto and Odinga are due to hold talks to resolve the stalemate, which has seen months of protests over the cost of living, electoral reforms and other opposition grievances.

On 25 July 2023, Odinga claimed that Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu was in the country to mediate in the bipartisan talks.

But Ruto had left Suluhu in the country for two days and there was no mediation in the inter-party talks, Odinga further claimed.

In this context, a YouTube video was posted on Facebook on 26 July, claiming to show the Tanzanian president's "secret landing" in Kenya.

"How Tanzania president Samia Suluhu landed in Kenya secretly to mediate between President Ruto and Raila Odinga," the post reads.

The video, with the same claim, is posted here and here on Youtube.

But does this video show Suluhu landing in Kenya for the mediation talks? We checked.

Old video, unrelated

Government spokesperson Hussein Mohammed said there was no official invitation to Suluhu. He said there were established protocols for any president coming to Kenya, which were handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A reverse image search of keyframes drawn from the video clip using the InVID search tool led us to the same video posted in 2021.

The clip was published on YouTube on 8 September 2021 here, here, here and here with similar captions.

One of the captions reads: "RAIS SAMIA ALIVYOWASILI UWANJA WA NDEGE MKOANI MWANZA LEO."

This roughly translates to: "President Samia arrives at Mwanza airport today."

Tanzania's State House shared photos of Suluhu in Mwanza for a cultural event on the day the videos were first posted.

The video is old and doesn't show president Suluhu landing in Kenya for mediation talks.

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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