Kenya: Fabricated Graphic Quotes Kenyan Opposition Politician Fred Matiang'i As Saying He Would Close Kisii State Lodge If Elected President

17 August 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

Fabricated graphic quotes Kenyan opposition politician Fred Matiang'i as saying he would close Kisii State Lodge if elected president

IN SHORT: A graphic is going viral on social media, quoting Kenyan opposition politician Fred Matiang'i as saying he would close Kisii State Lodge in western Kenya once elected president. However, the graphic is fabricated.

A graphic circulating on social media claims that Kenyan opposition politician and presidential aspirant Fred Matiang'i has said that he would close Kisii State Lodge if he becomes president.

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"I will close Kisii State Lodge once elected as president," the graphic reads.

It features the logo of Kenyans.co.ke, suggesting that the Kenyan news outlet published it. It also features Matiang'i's image.

Users who posted the graphic used it to attack him, labelling him "enemy of the Gusii community" and "cheap".

The Kisii, or Gusii, are an ethnic group found mainly in western Kenya. Matiang'i hails from that community.

Kisii State Lodge, located in Kisii county in western Kenya, is a presidential residence used by the president during official tours of the region.

Matiang'i is a key political figure in Kenya's opposition and will contest the 2027 presidential election. He previously served as a cabinet secretary under former president Uhuru Kenyatta, heading various ministries between 2013 and 2022.

He has joined forces with other opposition politicians in an effort to unseat president William Ruto in the 2027 general election.

The graphic emerged just hours after Matiang'i's interview with a local television station.

But can it be trusted? We checked.

Fake graphic

Kenyans.co.ke often posts its graphics on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X. Africa Check searched these accounts but found no trace of the graphic.

We searched for Matiang'i's interview and found it published on 10 August 2026. We also found the section where he commented on state lodges.

In that section, Matiang'i says, in Kiswahili: "Mimi nimesema kila wakati, majaliwa ya mwenyezi mungu kama mimi ningepata nafasi ya kuwa rais wa nchi hii me nitafunga about half of the state houses and state lodges we have."

This translates as: "I have always said, God willing, that if I were to get the opportunity to become president of this country, I would close about half of the state houses and state lodges we have." He argued that the money used to run them could be diverted to other important sectors.

At no point did he mention a specific state lodge by name.

The graphic and the quote are fabricated and should be ignored.

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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