No, video doesn't show Kenyan politician Mudavadi watching ex-deputy president Gachagua's speech
IN SHORT: A video on social media shows Kenyan politician Musalia Mudavadi apparently watching former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua call president William Ruto a "thief and a murderer". But it has been altered.
A video showing Kenya's prime cabinet secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, seemingly watching in astonishment as former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua speaks is gaining social media attention.
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In the video, Gachagua rants about Kenya's president William Ruto, calling him a "thief and a murderer".
"Wewe Kasongo, wewe arap mashamba, wewe mwizi, wewe muuaji, wewe mtu wa kuharibu nchi, aende asiede? Kasongo aende asiende. Wangapi wanasema Kasongo aende, Kasongo aende, Kasongo aende," Gachagua says in the video.
This loosely translates to: "You Kasongo, you land grabber, you thief, you murderer, you a destroyer of the country, should he go or not? Should Kasongo go or not? How many of you are saying Kasongo should go ... Kasongo should go ... Kasongo should go."
"Kasongo" and "arap mashamba" are some of the derogatory nicknames used by Ruto's critics to insult or mock him. "To go" is derived from the slogan "Ruto must go", a protest chant used by his critics to demand his resignation or removal from office due to what they claim is poor leadership.
Mudavadi, who also serves as the cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs, is a close ally of Ruto and has consistently defended government policies. In January 2025, the Amani National Congress, a party linked to him, merged with the Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance.
Gachagua served as Kenya's deputy president from 2022 until his impeachment in October 2024 following a fallout with the president. Since his impeachment, he has been criticising Ruto and his government, and has mobilised the opposition in a bid to unseat Ruto in the 2027 elections.
The video comes at a time when critics of Gachagua are calling for his arrest over what they term inflammatory public remarks. Top government officials have threatened to have him arrested.
In one Facebook post, the video of Mudadavi apparently watching Gachagua was viewed over 76,000 times.
But is it legit? We checked.
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Altered video
A reverse image search of a screenshot from the circulating video reveals that it is a combination of an old photo of Mudavadi and a recent video of Gachagua.
Mudavadi originally posted the photo on his verified Facebook page on 10 June 2020. He was participating in a virtual meeting with European Union ambassadors, not watching Gachagua.
"I had a productive virtual meeting with 19 European Union Ambassadors hosted by EU Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Simon Mordue. We deliberated on a number of issues on the current developments in Kenya, in addition to feasible solutions to reviving & boosting the Kenyan Economy," he captioned the photo. At the time, he was not in government.
The video superimposed on Mudadavi's photo was shot in Murang'a county in central Kenya. Gachagua live-streamed his visit to the area on his verified Facebook page on 25 May 2025.
The video circulating is a digital blend of a photo of Mudadavi and a video of Gachagua.
