Old video used to falsely claim Kenyan MP Ndindi Nyoro publicly attacked president William Ruto
IN SHORT: The video with the caption claiming that Ndindi Nyoro was addressing William Ruto is from 2022, where he was addressing then-president Uhuru Kenyatta.
A video posted on TikTok shows Kenyan legislator Ndindi Nyoro seemingly addressing president William Ruto about the high cost of living. He also appears to threaten to quit the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The video is overlaid with the text: "Ndindi Nyoro lectures HE William Ruto for high cost of living and handshake with Rt Hon Raila Odinga. Dare to quit UDA and form his own party."
It has over 2 million views, 2,500 comments and 8,500 shares on the short-form video platform.
Nyoro is a member of parliament for Kiharu constituency in Murang'a county. He is a key ally of Ruto and an active member of the UDA party.
Murang'a county is part of the Mount Kenya region, a key voting bloc inhabited mainly by the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities. In the 2022 elections, most voters from this region supported the Kenya Kwanza coalition, of which the UDA is the main party.
Background
Most of the leaders of the Kenya Kwanza government, including Ruto, were part of former president Uhuru Kenyatta's administration. But a rift developed around 2018 after Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga patched up their differences in a bid to reunite the country.
Ruto and his allies appeared to have been sidelined by the deal. This led to the formation of the UDA and the eventual political realignment that saw Ruto's faction win the 2022 elections against Odinga's Azimio coalition backed by Kenyatta.
Challenges and political dynamics
Months after Ruto's 2022 victory, the opposition - led by Odinga - organised nationwide protests against his government, including over the high cost of living.
These protests led to dialogue between the government and the opposition. Soon after, Ruto and Odinga were seen to be working closer together, with Ruto leading a push for Odinga to be appointed as the next chair of the African Union Commission. This reportedly alienated deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, who was wary of the Ruto-Odinga relationship.
Nyoro has been making political moves that are seen as positioning him as Ruto's running mate in the 2027 presidential election.
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Gachagua's camp has expressed concern about these political moves and feels sidelined. He has recently avoided key government functions involving the president, leading to media speculation about internal conflicts.
These political dynamics have fuelled speculation about the stability of the Kenya Kwanza coalition. The country's economic challenges and Ruto's current relationship with Odinga may make the video appear believable.
But does the video caption accurately reflect Nyoro's speech? We checked.
Verifying the video
A Google search based on Nyoro's speech reveals the original context of the video. The speech was delivered in May 2022, and Nyoro was addressing then-president Kenyatta, not Ruto.
In the speech, Nyoro criticises Kenyatta's government, highlighting issues such as the high cost of living and the political alliance with Odinga. He does not comment on the UDA or the formation of his party, as the TikTok video caption claims.
The claim that the video shows a recent speech by Nyoro publicly addressing Ruto about the high cost of living is false. The misleading caption and video exploit economic concerns and political dynamics in Kenya to create a false narrative.
