Kenya: Disregard Fake Newspaper Front Page Claiming That Kenya's Ex-Deputy President Called Politician Fred Matiang'i a Fool

9 October 2025
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Tess Wandia

Disregard fake newspaper front page claiming that Kenya's ex-deputy president called politician Fred Matiang'i a fool

IN SHORT: An image imitating the design of Kenya's Standard newspaper front pages claims Rigathi Gachagua referred to Fred Matiang'i as a fool. But this, like the front page, has been fabricated.

"Matiang'i's blunders are Ruto's blessings -- splitting votes only seals his 2027 victory," reads a post circulating on Facebook in Kenya.

It is captioning what is supposedly the front page of Kenya's Standard newspaper.

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The image, dated 6 October 2025, features the headline: "Matiang'i is a Fool."

The summary below the headline claims that Matiang'i is causing divisions in the opposition, which would result in the smooth re-election of president William Ruto.

Fred Matiang'i previously served as a cabinet secretary, leading various ministries under former president Uhuru Kenyatta between 2013 and 2022. Matiang'i is a key political figure in Kenya's opposition as the 2027 presidential race heats up. In July, Gachagua announced that the united opposition would field one candidate to unseat Ruto in the 2027 general election.

However, in October, Matiang'i announced he would be seeking the presidency on a Jubilee party ticket. Despite Matiang'i's denial of a rift in the opposition, this could potentially split the opposition votes against Ruto.

But is the front page authentic? We checked.

Altered front page

Africa Check discovered the circulating front page originated from the Facebook page Daily Standard - the source of several digitally altered front pages imitating the design of the Standard newspaper. This suggests that the image in question is likely also fake.

The genuine Standard newspaper usually posts digital versions of its front pages on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X, as well as on its e-paper platform. We searched the accounts and the platform and found the original front page from 6 October 2025.

The genuine front page features the headline "Raila health wars". It addresses social media rumours claiming that veteran politician Raila Odinga is gravely ill.

The version doing the rounds on social media has been altered.

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. X @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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