Kenya: Altered Photo Used to Falsely Claim Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta 'Confined to a Wheelchair'

15 April 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

Altered photo used to falsely claim former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta 'confined to a wheelchair'

IN SHORT: An image that appears to show former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta using a wheelchair has been circulating on social media, with claims that his health is declining. However, the image has been altered.

An image appearing to show former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta using a wheelchair is doing the rounds on social media.

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In the image, Kenyatta appears to be seated in a wheelchair, signing a visitor's book, seemingly in Nigeria.

"Breaking news: Uhuru Kenyatta is declining. He has been confined to a wheelchair. Please let us pray for him. He was our best Kenyan dad," the image is captioned.

Kenyatta served as the country's president from 2013 to 2022. His health has been a subject of speculation since he hinted in 2025 that he could be facing health challenges.

The image has been posted widely, but can it be trusted? We checked.

Altered photo

A reverse image search revealed that the original image, published by credible news outlets on 28 October 2024, shows Kenyatta attending an inauguration at the Nigeria National Defence College. In the original, he is seated on a sofa and not in a wheelchair.

Kenyatta is active on social media and posts about his engagements and whereabouts on platforms such as Facebook and X. A review of these accounts shows that he posted the original photo and others, captioning the post "Kenyatta Emphasizes the Importance of Strong Institutions for Security and Development in Africa at Nigeria's National Defence College".

We also didn't find any credible media reports to support the claim that Kenyatta's health is declining, which raises concerns about the claim's credibility.

The circulating image is altered 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. X @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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