No, Kenyan MP and majority leader Kimani Ichung'wah is not dead
IN SHORT: A viral video claims that Kenyan politician and senior member of parliament Kimani Ichung'wah has died after a crash. But the claim is false; the video has been manipulated and includes scam-style captions.
A video posted on TikTok around 26 January 2026 claims that Kenyan politician Kimani Ichung'wah has died.
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The video appears to show Citizen TV news anchor Olive Burrows supposedly delivering a breaking news bulletin about Ichung'wah's death after "an air crash accident this morning".
It then cuts to a separate clip of president William Ruto saying: "I am deeply saddened to announce the passing on of Kimani Ichung'wah."
The video includes unrelated text captions urging viewers to dial mobile phone codes that appear to be linked to Nyota Fund and Skiza, promising cash rewards.
It has more than 468,000 views and over 4,600 likes.
Other versions of the video claimed that Ichung'wah died after "a road accident".
Background and context
Ichung'wah is the majority leader in Kenya's national assembly and the MP for the Kikuyu constituency. He is a close political ally of Ruto and a senior figure in the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (Nyota) programme is a Kenyan government initiative funded by the World Bank. It aims to support young people through grants, training and business opportunities.
Skiza Tunes is a mobile phone service that allows users to set music as a caller ringback tone, usually at a small daily cost.
The video alleges that Ichung'wah has died and that the president has already announced it.
But is this true? We checked.
Video uses fake audio and recycled footage
A close examination shows the claim is false. First, the voice used for the Citizen TV anchor is not Burrows's genuine voice. It sounds like a poor imitation, and the audio does not match her lip movements, indicating the video may have been manipulated.
Second, the clip showing Ruto closely matches footage from 18 April 2024. On that day, Ruto was announcing the death of General Francis Ogolla, former chief of defence forces, following a helicopter crash.
The setting, Ruto's clothing and body language are the same. In the TikTok video, there is a noticeable cut when Ruto mentions "Kimani Ichung'wah", and his lip movements do not match the words, suggesting the video has been edited to replace Ogolla's name with Ichung'wah's.
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There has also been no official announcement from State House, the government, UDA or any credible media outlet confirming Ichung'wah's death. If such a senior politician had died, it would have made headlines.
Crucially, Ichung'wah has continued to appear publicly. On 27 January 2026, he was filmed and photographed attending a retreat with other MPs ahead of the resumption of the fifth parliamentary session. He has also been posting updates on his social media accounts.
The unrelated caption claiming the Nyota Fund has been "hacked" is another red flag. As Africa Check has previously debunked, such captions are common on TikTok videos spreading false news. They first attract attention with shocking claims, then trick users into dialling the provided codes. But instead of receiving the promised cash rewards, users end up unknowingly subscribing to paid services.
The claim that Ichung'wah is dead is false.
