Kenya: Disregard Altered Photos Used to Shame Kenyan Lawmaker Linet Chepkorir

8 May 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

Disregard altered photos used to shame Kenyan lawmaker Linet Chepkorir

IN SHORT: Two images circulating on social media that appear to show Kenyan lawmaker Linet Chepkorir as having gained a significant amount of weight are being used to body-shame her. However, the images have been altered.

Two images circulating on social media in Kenya appear to show Bomet county woman representative Linet Chepkorir, widely known as Linet Toto, as having gained a significant amount of weight.

Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

The first image shows her seated beside Aaron Cheruiyot, the senator for Kericho county, while the second shows her standing beside him.

Users who posted the images used them to insult and body-shame her, while also calling on voters not to re-elect her in the 2027 general election.

"Bomet Woman Rep Linet Toto.. is a living example why the woman rep seat should be scrapped. Her only visible 'achievement' has been getting married and adding weight. She went to Parliament at about 30kg and is now weighing 150kgs," one user captioned in part.

Chepkorir is the youngest woman representative in Kenya's national assembly, having been elected in 2022 at 24 years old. She was visibly young and petite, which earned her the nickname "toto", Kiswahili for "baby".

The images have circulated widely. But are they real? We checked.

Photos altered

Chepkorir is active on social media and uses her Facebook account, Linet Chepkorir, to update her followers on her daily engagements and whereabouts. She frequently posts photos in these updates.

We checked the account and found photos similar to the first image, showing her wearing the same dress, posted on 17 April 2026 during a function she attended. She was with Cheruiyot, who is seen wearing the same clothes in the circulated image.

We also checked Cheruiyot's verified Facebook page and found the original photo, which had been altered for use in the circulating claim. The circulating image has been exaggerated to portray her as more overweight than she is.

Using reverse image search, we located the second photo published by local media outlets. The original photo does not show her with a noticeably altered face. Chepkorir has also posted similar photos on her account.

The circulating images have been 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

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 Africa Check. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.