Kenya: Altered Image Used to Claim That Kenyan President's Son Bought an Expensive Car Worth Millions

6 February 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

Altered image used to claim that Kenyan president's son bought an expensive car worth millions

IN SHORT: An image has been posted on social media with the claim that it shows George Kimutai Ruto, the son of president William Ruto, and his new high-end car worth millions of Kenyan shillings. However, the image is fake.

An image circulating on social media appears to show Kenyan president William Ruto's youngest son, George Kimutai Ruto, standing next to a high-end car.

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Users who posted it claim that it shows George, 27, with his new car worth KSh100 million (about US$770,813).

"BREAKING NEWS: President Ruto son George Ruto Buys 2026 Lexus LX 800H costing 100 million from profits of his matatu business after one year of hard work," the caption reads.

The car seems to have a personalised number plate featuring his name.

Matatus are privately owned minibuses commonly used for public transportation in Kenya. George reportedly owns one.

Kenyan politicians and their families have often faced public criticism for flaunting their wealth on social media, while many citizens struggle to make ends meet. This partly fuelled the 2024 anti-government protests, which resulted in deaths.

But is the image authentic? We checked.

Altered image

Africa Check searched for the car model "2026 Lexus LX 800H" on the official Lexus website but found no results. The website lists only the 2026 Lexus LX 700H in its lineup.

We closely examined the image and noticed that the patterns on the car's front grille appeared misaligned, suggesting it was generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

We conducted a reverse image search and found the car, published alone in an article, with all other details intact. The article said Lexus had yet to launch this model, while the price tag is many times what would be expected for the make. This suggests that Kimutai has been added to the photo, as a clear boundary around his body is visible.

The two images circulating on Facebook and the one from the article initially appeared in two separate videos, which YouTube described as "altered or synthetic content". This indicates that AI tools may have been used to create them.

The image depicting George beside the high-end car is fake and should be disregarded.

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. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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