Kenya: Fabricated Graphics Used to Claim Kenyan Minister Kipchumba Murkomen's Marriage Is On the Rocks Over Politics

31 August 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

IN SHORT: According to graphics going viral on social media, Kenya's interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen's wife has threatened to quit her marriage over her husband's alleged hostile treatment of her community. However, the graphics are fabricated.

Kenya's interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen's wife, Gladys Wanjiru, has threatened to walk out of her marriage over her husband's alleged harassment of the Kikuyu community. That's according to graphics that quote her and are circulating on social media.

"I love my beloved husband Kipchumba Murkomen! But from the look of things, if he continues harassing my people from mt Kenya including Rigathi Gachagua, I will be left with no choice but going home to my people. I will not sacrifice my tribe for politics. My people are bigger than our marriage," the graphics read.

Murkomen is from the Kalenjin community, which mainly lives in Kenya's Rift Valley region and is one of the largest communities in the country, while Wanjiru is Kikuyu.

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The Kikuyu are the largest ethnic community in the country and mainly live in the Mount Kenya region in central Kenya. Rigathi Gachagua, who served as deputy president from 2022 until his impeachment in October 2024 following a fallout with president William Ruto, comes from the region.

The community overwhelmingly voted for Ruto, a Kalenjin, who had Gachagua as his running mate in the 2022 elections. But after the two fell out, it is unclear whether the vote-rich region will still back Ruto in 2027. Gachagua, who is now critical of Ruto, has positioned himself as the leader and defender of the region's interests.

Kenyan voters have long voted along ethnic lines and, as such, ethnicity remains an important consideration, especially in politics.

The graphics have circulated widely, but is the quote authentic? We checked.

No evidence

The graphics and quote appeared only on social media, and not in any articles from credible news outlets. And none of the pages that posted them indicated when or where Wanjiru made the remarks. This lack of detail is often a sign that the content may be fabricated.

We also noticed that the graphic containing the claim originated from the Facebook page Kenya News Flash, notorious for posting fabricated quotes, some of which have been debunked by Africa Check. This page is not a reliable source of information.

We found no evidence that Wanjiru made such remarks. The quote exploits heightened political activity in the country to provoke reactions on social media.

The quote is fabricated and should be ignored.

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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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