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

A fabricated graphic is circulating on social media, purporting to quote Kenyan opposition politician Fred Matiang'i as stating he would close Kisii State Lodge if elected president. However, the graphic is false. Matiang'i, a presidential aspirant from the Kisii ethnic group in western Kenya, previously served as a cabinet secretary under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He has announced his intention to run in the 2027 presidential election alongside other opposition politicians seeking to unseat incumbent President William Ruto. In an interview with a local television station, Matiang'i commented on state lodges, stating in Kiswahili that if he became president "I would close about half of the state houses and state lodges we have," arguing that funds could be better allocated to other sectors.

The fabricated graphic, featuring Matiang'i's image and the logo of Kenyans.co.ke, was used to attack him as an "enemy of the Gusii community" and "cheap." However, the graphic does not represent Matiang'i's actual words or stance on the matter.