Kenya: Old Photo of Ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta and Incumbent Ruto Falsely Linked to President's Daughter's 2026 Engagement Party

A Facebook post shows former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta seated next to incumbent leader William Ruto at what appears to be their daughter Charlene's engagement party in August 2026. However, the image is actually from a wedding in January 2019. The post claims the photo depicts Kenyatta and Ruto at Charlene Ruto's pre-wedding ceremony known as Koito ak Chaik, which was held on August 8, 2026, at her family's Intonna Heritage Farm in Kilgoris.

The ceremony was part of the preparations for Charlene's marriage to Tanzanian entrepreneur Isaya Yunge. The photo has been shared on multiple platforms, including Facebook and news websites. A reverse image search reveals that the photo was originally posted online in December 2019, long before Charlene Ruto's engagement ceremony.

An article published by Kenyan news website Hivisasa used the same image with a caption stating "President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto at a past event." The 2019 version of the photo shows Ruto wearing a white shirt and black trousers, while at Charlene Ruto's 2026 ceremony, he wore a brown Kaunda suit. The photo predates the engagement ceremony by more than seven years.

Using old photos to falsely represent political meetings or alliances, especially when the individuals are prominent rivals, is misleading.