Ignore fake graphic claiming firm linked to former Kenyan 'super minister' Matiang'i was involved in 2002 assassination attempt on ex-Zimbabwean president Mugabe

IN SHORT: A company linked to former Kenyan interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiang'i was involved in an assassination attempt on former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. That's according to a graphic that's gaining traction on social media. But it is fake.

"Matiang'i Canadian PR firm plotted Mugabe assassination in 2002," reads a graphic that has gone viral on social media.

The graphic shows a photo of Kenya's former interior and national administration cabinet secretary Fred Matiang'i. It also features the logo of Kenyans.co.ke, a digital news outlet, implying that it was published by them.

Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe, died on 6 September 2019. In 2002, Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was accused of plotting to assassinate Mugabe.

Voice of America reported at the time that Mugabe's government claimed that Tsvangirai had met with members of a Canadian political consulting group the previous year to arrange the assassination.

The graphic comes a week after Kenyan media reported that Matiang'i had hired a Canadian firm to help him garner international support ahead of the country's 2027 general election. However, he has not publicly declared his interest in running for president.

But is the graphic legit? We checked.

'This is fake'

Kenyans.co.ke often posts its graphics on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Africa Check searched for the graphic on the accounts and came up empty.

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

The graphic is fake and should be ignored.