This video shared on Facebook claims to show Former US President Barack Obama’s message to Kenyans ahead of the 2022 general elections.
Background
This year ushers in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s last year in office and Kenya’s general elections.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) recently registered around 1.5 million new voters ahead of the August 2022 elections. This fell short of the ambitious 6 million targeted new voters by 25%. The estimated budget for the upcoming elections was on the other hand capped at around Sh86 million.
Verification
Remarks made on the video do not align with current events in Kenya. These include Obama’s statement that;
“After the turmoil of 5 years ago, you’ve worked to rebuild communities, reform institutions, and pass a new constitution.”
However, Kenya’s current constitution was introduced over a decade ago. It was promulgated on August 27, 2010 during Former President Mwai Kibaki’s last term in office.
“Now Kenya must take the next step, in March, with the first national elections under a new constitution,” Obama adds in the video.
The 2022 general elections in Kenya will neither be the first under the 2010 constitution nor would they be held in March. IEBC announced the date of the upcoming elections as August 9, 2022.
Piga Firimbi found that the video shared on Facebook is from February 2013, as published on ‘The Obama White House’ YouTube channel. This message was meant for the Kenyan 2013 general elections, which were held on March 4.
Obama’s reference on the “turmoil of five years ago” refers to the bloody 2007 post-election violence which killed over 1,000 people according to the Human Rights Watch.
Another fabricated video connecting Obama to the upcoming 2022 general elections in Kenya was previously debunked here. This fact-check disproves claims showing a video that allegedly illustrates Barack Obama supposedly endorsing Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid.
Verdict
NO, this video does not show Former US President Barrack Obama’s message for Kenya’s 2022 general elections.
Add comment