Fake BBC graphic used to claim that Kenya's president banned from UK after accident involving his motorcade
IN SHORT: A graphic circulating on Facebook that appears to have been published by the BBC claims that Kenyan president William Ruto has been barred from the UK. But the BBC did not report this.
A graphic circulating on Facebook claims that president William Ruto has been barred from entering the UK after a hit-and-run incident on 13 March 2025 in which a British national was killed in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
The graphic, dated 14 March 2025, features the BBC News logo.
It reads: "President William Ruto of Kenya has been banned from travelling to Britain following a hit-and-run incident involving a British man, which occurred yesterday on Ngong Road."
Edgar Riches was hit and killed by a vehicle in Ruto's motorcade on Ngong Road, a main artery in the city. Riches was reported to be on his way to a mosque, while Ruto was on a city development tour.
Eyewitnesses say the motorcade was going fast when the pedestrian was hit. The driver was arrested and released on bail while investigations continue.
The graphic also appears here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
The accident has grabbed public attention, but has it led to Ruto being banned from entering the UK? We checked.
No reporting on what would be newsworthy development
There has been no formal statement from the Kenyan government or the UK authorities about this incident or any resulting ban.
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Under UK government policy, foreigners can be banned from entering if their presence is deemed "not conducive to the public good".
The UK's home secretary has the discretion to personally order a visa ban, mainly on grounds of national security, extremism, war crimes, corruption or public disorder.
Officials can also refuse entry based on conduct, character or associations. The circumstances are not specified, but guidance suggests they are usually used in serious cases.
While the fatal incident in Nairobi was widely reported, there have been no credible mentions of a travel ban being imposed on Ruto as a result. If this were the case, it would be highly newsworthy.
Signs graphic is fake
There are several indications that the graphic being circulated is fake.
The layout differs from the usual BBC News format in that it has "BBC News" on the top left corner, whereas real BBC graphics only have "BBC" in that position.
In addition, the date appears in the top right corner, which is not standard in legitimate BBC graphics. The font and colours used in the graphic also differ from those used in authentic BBC visuals.
We contacted BBC News to verify the graphic's authenticity.
"That's a totally fake one. We never did that story, nor did we publish anything on the topic," said social media editor Bruno Ferreira.
The fake graphic also appears here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
