Kenya: Old photo of ex-president Uhuru Kenyatta and incumbent Ruto falsely linked to president’s daughter’s 2026 engagement party
IN SHORT: A photo circulating on Facebook appears to show former president Uhuru Kenyatta attending the traditional engagement ceremony of president William Ruto’s daughter Charlene in August 2026. But the photo was taken at a wedding in the capital in January 2019.
Some Facebook users have posted a photo that they claim shows former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta attending the pre-wedding ceremony of president William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
The image shows Kenyatta and Ruto seated side by side on white sofas at an outdoor event.
One caption reads: “UPDATE Former President, Uhuru Kenyatta is among those attending the Pre Wedding ceremony of President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene Ruto in Kilgoris. Long time friends … Put politics a side.”
Charlene Ruto’s traditional Kalenjin engagement and farewell ceremony, known as Koito ak Chaik, was held on 8 August 2026 at her family’s Intonna Heritage Farm in Kilgoris, about 180 kilometres west of the capital Nairobi. It was part of the preparations for her marriage to Tanzanian entrepreneur Isaya Yunge.
Koito is a traditional Kalenjin marriage ceremony that formally brings together the two families and can include negotiations over bridewealth, blessings from elders and the exchange of gifts.
The ceremony brought together the couple’s families as well as senior government officials and politicians.
The photo has also been posted here, here, here and here.
Kenyatta and Ruto were president and deputy president from 2013 to 2022, but their political alliance collapsed during their second term. They have since remained political rivals, making claims of a public reunion noteworthy.
But does the photo really show Kenyatta at the August 2026 ceremony? We checked.
Photo dates to 2019
A reverse image search revealed that the photo had been online years before Charlene Ruto’s engagement ceremony.
An article published by Kenyan news website Hivisasa on 6 December 2019 used the same image with the caption: “President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto at a past event.”
Africa Check narrowed the search to material published before December and traced the photo to 11 January. It was taken at the wedding of Makena Murungi, daughter of former Meru governor Kiraitu Murungi, and James Bukusi at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi.
There is another clue. In the 2019 photo, Ruto is wearing a white shirt and black trousers. At his daughter’s 2026 ceremony, he wore a brown Kaunda suit.
The photo therefore predates Charlene’s traditional engagement ceremony by more than seven years.
Recycling old photos as current can create a false impression of political meetings or unions, particularly when the people pictured are prominent rivals.
Discussion about this post