Kenya: No Evidence Kenyan President Has Expelled His Aide Farouk Kibet

No evidence Kenyan president has expelled his aide Farouk Kibet

IN SHORT: A document doing the rounds on social media in Kenya claims that the president's aide Farouk Kibet "will no longer serve in any capacity within the presidency or operate from State House". But there is no evidence to support this.

"Ref: Expulsion of Mr Farouk Kibet from Kenya Statehouse," reads the subject of a memo supposedly from the office of Kenyan president, William Ruto.

Farouk Kibet is a long-standing trusted aide of Ruto.

But the memo claims that Kibet's conduct has fallen short of the standards expected of anyone associated with the president's office.

The viral document is supposedly signed by Ruto and dated 2 March 2026.

In it, Ruto seemingly thanks Kibet for his support but goes on to say: "Actions that vilify leaders, create unnecessary confrontation, or bring the Office of the President into disrepute cannot and will not be tolerated. Effective immediately, Mr. Farouk Kibet will no longer serve in any capacity within the Presidency or operate from State House."

Kibet is often portrayed as a de facto second-in-command who wields outsized influence, with critics claiming this has hampered government operations. Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua also accused Kibet of extortion and exploiting his position as Ruto's alleged fixer for personal gain.

But has Kibet really been expelled? We checked.

No evidence

Africa Check analysed past memos from the executive office of the president and found some red flags in the circulating document. When compared to authentic memos, the circulating memo revealed inconsistencies in font, formatting and appearance of the Kenya seal.

News of Kibet's ousting would have sparked debate and been reported by credible local media houses. However, we found no such reports about a falling out between Kibet and Ruto.

As recently as 30 March, Kibet was still documenting Ruto's continued efforts in achieving his manifesto, accompanied by other government officials. This shows that he is still a key player in the Ruto administration.

There is no evidence to support the claim that Kibet has been expelled.

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