Uganda: No Evidence Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Asked Kenyans to Support President Ruto Ahead of the 2027 Election

No evidence Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni asked Kenyans to support president Ruto ahead of the 2027 election

IN SHORT: A graphic that appears to quote Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, urging Kenyans to support president William Ruto to achieve economic development, is going viral on social media. However, the graphic and quote are fabricated.

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has urged Kenyans to support president William Ruto if they wish for economic development, according to a graphic doing the rounds on social media.

"Wakenya mkisimama na Ruto, Singapore mtafika mapema mbele yetu. Huyo kijana anachapa Kazi," the graphic reads.

This translates from Kiswahili as: "Kenyans, if you stand with president William Ruto, you will arrive in Singapore sooner than us. That guy is working hard."

Ruto has frequently referenced Singapore as a model for Kenya's economic transformation, aiming to elevate Kenya into a first-world economy. But the country's opposition has mocked this, saying this is unrealistic, given rampant government corruption.

Kenya will hold general elections in 2027, and Ruto has declared his intention to seek re-election. But he faces criticism over unfulfilled promises from ordinary Kenyans and rival politicians.

The graphic with the supposed quote from Museveni has been posted here, here and here. But can it be trusted? We checked.

No evidence

Credible local and international media outlets closely monitor Museveni's political remarks and report on them extensively. If he had indeed made this statement, it would likely have been widely reported and debated. We searched for the quote but found no such reports.

The graphic has only been published by one source, which has not indicated when and where Museveni is meant to have made these remarks. It also does not link to any speech, interview or official source, another indication that the content is likely to have been fabricated.

All signs point to a fabricated quote that exploits political manoeuvrings to provoke reactions on social media.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
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