Old video used to falsely claim that Kenyan opposition politician Kalonzo Musyoka visited president William Ruto for political deal
IN SHORT: Kenyan opposition politician Kalonzo Musyoka has been the target of false claims that he is in for a political deal with president William Ruto. But this video seemingly showing him meeting Ruto for a pact in March 2025 is old.
Kenyan politicians are realigning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections. As usual, this is a season when they and their supporters try to garner support. This period is also filled with many false claims about the politicians.
The latest claim is a video showing Kenyan opposition politician and Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka meeting Kenyan president William Ruto at State House in the capital, Nairobi.
The State House is the official residence and office of the president of Kenya.
The video also shows the ruling United Democratic Alliance party secretary general, Hassan Omar, and Kenyan cabinet secretary for energy, Opiyo Wandayi, present at the meeting.
Those who posted the video claimed Musyoka met Ruto on 12 March 2025 for a possible political pact.
"Just last year, Kalonzo vowed he would never work with Ruto. Today, he's making moves toward State House. Politics is truly unpredictable, but desperation exposes true intentions," reads one caption.
The video has been posted here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
Musyoka targeted
Musyoka has been the target of a social media campaign claiming he's about to join the government. The campaign has often been packaged in the form of fabricated quotes on graphics featuring logos of reputable media outlets in Kenya.
Those posting the claims have often praised Ruto for "being a political genius" for "convincing Musyoka". They are also mocking former Kenyan deputy president Rigathi Gachagua for "being left out in the political cold".
Musyoka and Gachagua resolved to work together after the latter was impeached in October 2024 after a fallout with Ruto.
Gachagua has often presented himself as the leader and defender of the Mount Kenya region, a term used to refer to areas around central Kenya traditionally inhabited by the populous Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities. Gachagua hails from the Kikuyu community. He hopes to be part of a political formation that will unseat Ruto in the next elections.
Ruto boosted his 2027 re-election chances by including members of the main opposition Orange Democratic Movement, led by Odinga, in what he called a "broad-based government". On 7 March 2025, Ruto and Odinga signed a memorandum of understanding that appeared to formalise their political partnership.
Musyoka has been a stern critic of Ruto's government and has ruled out working with the president. He has announced that he will run for president in Kenya's 2027 general election.
But was Musyoka spotted at the State House for a political pact in March 2025? We checked.
Old, unrelated video
Despite being newsworthy, Africa Check did not find the video or the claim posted by credible news outlets in Kenya on 12 March. This indicates that it could be old and the claim fake.
We searched for the video using the phrase "Kalonzo meets Ruto at State House" and found the original footage posted on the Kenya Digital News YouTube channel on 9 March 2024. It is titled: "President Ruto's moment with Azimio leaders at State House during NADCO report's presentation!!"
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The National Dialogue Committee, or Nadco, was established in August 2023 to foster productive dialogues between the majority and minority parties in Kenya's national assembly.
The committee was led by Kenyan lawmaker Kimani Ichung'wah, who represented the Kenya Kwanza alliance, and Musyoka, who was part of the Azimio La Umoja coalition at the time.
Kenya Kwanza, led by Ruto, defeated the Azimio La Umoja coalition, which was led by Odinga, in the August 2022 general elections.
The video was shot when the committee went to the State House to present its report to Ruto in March 2024.
Musyoka has also labelled the claim "fake news".
The video is old and should be ignored.
The same claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
