Kenya: Viral 'Corridors of Power' Column On Mount Kenya Political Realignments Is Fabricated

30 April 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Makinia Juma Sylvia

Viral 'Corridors of Power' column on Mount Kenya political realignments is fabricated

IN SHORT: A screenshot of what appears to be a popular Kenyan newspaper column is circulating online, discussing shifting regional political dynamics. But the layout is inconsistent with the Corridors of Power column's usual format, and there is no record of such a version being published.

What appears to be a screenshot of a newspaper column is circulating on social media in Kenya in April 2026. The column makes claims about political realignments within "GEMA", including references to a "new GEMA party", a "handshake", and a supposed "silent zoning of territory".

The column, posted on X on 16 April 2026, reads, in part:

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Something shifted on the mountain. A new GEMA party that is barely a year old is on its death bed after it was auctioned off by the real owners. The noisy kingpin that had loudly claimed ownership is now speaking in lower tones, having lost the party and after a familiar hand quietly reactivated old networks and reminded many where the real roots lie.

GEMA, an abbreviation for "Gikuyu, Embu, Meru and Akamba", refers to an association of communities from Kenya's Mount Kenya region that has historically functioned as a socio-political and economic bloc. The Mount Kenya region covers parts of central and eastern Kenya, traditionally inhabited by these communities.

The screenshot appears to show the print version of Corridors of Power, a popular political gossip column, and includes images of Kenya's former president, Uhuru Kenyatta, and former deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua.

Since the impeachment of Gachagua in October 2024, and as the 2027 election draws nearer, the political contest to win over the Mount Kenya region has intensified. Kenyatta, who left office in 2022 after two terms, remains a significant political figure, particularly in the dynamics of the region.

The screenshot is circulating at a time when speculation about political alliances is increasing. But is this in fact from the Star's Corridors of Power column and did the column make this claim? We checked.

Fake column

Corridors of Power is known for its short and anonymously written pieces of political gossip. It usually does not include photos. So the circulating image is inconsistent with how the column typically appears in print.

A search of the Star's website found no such story, and nothing was published on its verified X and Facebook accounts, where the column is usually promoted.

But there are other red flags. We couldn't find any reports of such political realignments within the GEMA region in the local media, as would be expected.

All signs point to the circulating column being fake.

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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