Two years after assuming office, Kenya’s President William Ruto fell out with his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached in October 2024. A TikTok video shared days after Gacahagua’s removal claims to show Ruto challenging him to face off in 2027 when the next presidential election is scheduled. The claim, however, is misleading; the clip was filmed in 2023 and shows Ruto talking about opposition leader Raila Odinga, and not Gachagua, who was still in office last year.
“‘If you have issues, let us meet in 2027’ President Ruto warns Rigathi Gachagua,” reads an English and Swahili text overlay on a TikTok post that has been shared more than 1,900 times since it was published on October 26, 2024.
Screenshot of the misleading post taken on December 2, 2024
Addressing a crowd, Ruto is heard telling an unnamed individual in Swahili to stop despising ordinary citizens and instead deal with him directly.
“Do not waste my time,” Ruto says. “If you have issues, prepare for 2027. Let me work for the people. In 2027, I will wait for you and know that I will be very well prepared.”
The logo of Kenya’s national broadcaster KBC is visible in the top right corner of the video, which is portrayed as a live event happening in Kisii country.
According to the video’s chyron, Ruto addressed a crowd during “CS Machogu’s homecoming and thanksgiving ceremony”.
Ezekiel Machogu is a former cabinet secretary for education from Kisii.
The claim was also published here on TikTok.
Leadership fallout
Gachagua, who was Ruto’s running mate in the 2022 elections (archived here), was impeached on October 17, 2024, following a decision by the Senate to uphold five of eleven charges against him archived here).
Some of the charges included money laundering, corruption, inciting violence along tribal lines, and abuse of office.
Gachagua rejected the accusations, saying they were neither substantiated nor supported by evidence. He subsequently withdrew his application to stop proceedings at the High Court challenging his removal, arguing that the matter had been overtaken by events (archived here).
The impeachment was a culmination of a long-drawn fallout between the Ruto and Gachagua factions in government who traded accusations of betrayal and acting in bad faith (archived here).
The video of Ruto throwing down the gauntlet, however, is unrelated to events in 2024.
Odinga challenge
Using keywords from Ruto’s address, AFP Fact Check found an extended version of the clip published on the official YouTube channel of broadcaster NTV Kenya on March 24, 2023 (archived here).
While Ruto was indeed speaking during a tour in Kisii county, he was referring to opposition leader Odinga in his speech, not Gachagua.
Odinga had at the time called for countrywide demonstrations to compel the government to lower the cost of living (archived here).
The TikTok clip omits the part of Ruto’s speech mentioning Odinga’s name.
“I want to tell my friend Mr Raila Odinga respectfully… stop the arrogance. Stop the contempt for ordinary people… You have gone with violence… chaos and anarchy to visit ordinary people who are going about their business. If you have issues deal with me,” ‘he says at 12’02” in the original video.
A side-by-side comparison of the TikTok clip and the footage published by NTV shows Ruto wearing the same clothes while standing in front of a brightly-coloured backdrop.
Screenshots comparing the original footage published by NTV (left) and the misleading video, taken on December 2, 2024
The address was also covered by other local media outlets at the time (archived here and here).
