Kenya: Fake Graphic Alert - Kenyan President William Ruto Did Not Appoint His Son As Vice-Chancellor of University of Nairobi

30 October 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Grace Gichuhi

Fake graphic alert: Kenyan president William Ruto did not appoint his son as vice-chancellor of University of Nairobi

IN SHORT: A viral Facebook graphic claims that president William Ruto has appointed his youngest son George Ruto as vice-chancellor of the University of Nairobi. Kenyans.co.ke flagged the graphic as fake.

Kenyan president William Ruto has appointed his son George Ruto as vice-chancellor of the University of Nairobi, according to a graphic making the rounds on Facebook.

The graphic, dated 16 October 2024, reads: "President Ruto Appoints George Ruto as Vice Chancellor of University of Nairobi, Replacing Prof. Stephen Kiama."

The graphic has the logo and branding of Kenyans.co.ke, a popular local news website.

It also has a photo of Prof Stephen Kiama next to one of George, the president's youngest son.

Prof Kiama was appointed to the position in January 2020 for a five-year term. But his troubled tenure was cut short after he was suspended in August 2024. The university council confirmed his dismissal on 14 October, saying that he had failed to meet the requirements for a second term, leading to his early removal.

Professor Margaret Hutchinson became acting vice-chancellor during Kiama's suspension.

The graphic appears here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)

But did Kenyans.co.ke really publish it? We checked.

Signs that the graphic is fake

Such news would have been widely reported, especially as it would be nepotism. But no reputable news outlet has reported that Ruto appointed his son as the university's vice-chancellor.

Prof Hutchinson was still listed as the acting vice-chancellor at the time of publication.

In addition, Kenyans.co.ke, the news outlet whose branding appeared on the graphic, said the image was fake.

"This post did not emanate from our media house. We flag it as FAKE. For official communication from Kenyans.co.ke, always visit the official website and verified social media pages," the publication wrote.

The fake graphic also appears here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

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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