These images shared on X (archived here, here, and here) showing newspaper front pages of the July 25, 2024 issues of The Star, The Standard, People Daily, and Daily Nation were published a day after President William Ruto announced nominees for cabinet secretary positions made vacant after he dismissed the cabinet on 11 July, 2024. In a media address announcing the dismissal, the President stated that he had acted after an extensive appraisal of the Cabinet’s performance.
Background
Dismissing the cabinet was one of the demands of protestors who have taken to the streets since 18 June. While the initial focus of the protests was to call for the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024, their scope has shifted towards a call for an end to bad governance, and corruption and for President Ruto to step down.
While Ruto had initially stated that he would consult ‘different sectors and political formations’ to identify those who will assist him in accelerating Kenya’s transformation and include them in his cabinet, he has reappointed several cabinet secretaries, and nominated several others from Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement party, angering many and leading to more calls to occupy State House and for him to step down.
Odinga also faced backlash for joining Ruto’s calls for dialogue on July 9, 2024, and the subsequent appointment of his party members further fueled public and political outrage, with some labeling him a traitor. This discontent likely led to the creation of these front pages with satirical headlines on fabricated front pages. ‘The Devil Wears Kaunda and Raila is His Tailor’ mocks President Ruto’s preference for Kaunda suits and references the film The Devil Wears Prada starring Meryl Streep. ‘A Looter Continua’ highlights accusations of corruption against Ruto’s government. ‘Raila’s Judas Moment’ points to Raila’s perceived betrayal for not opposing the government as he has done in the past, and ‘Dancing on Graves’ criticizes political deals made amid the mourning of those who lost their lives during the protests.
Verification
While the front pages match legitimate copies’ font, layout, and colors, the headlines have been altered. The Standard, People Daily, The Star, and Daily Nation published their authentic front pages for July 25, 2024, on their official social media platforms. The fabricated front pages match the legitimate copies, with only the headlines changed.
The Star Kenya’s official account on X has dismissed the front page as fake.
Verdict
The front pages dated July 25 attributed to The Standard, The Star, and Daily Nation are FAKE.
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