This post on X archived here contains a video of a plane on fire, with the caption claiming that protesters had set President William Ruto’s private jet on fire. Similar claims have been shared in other X, TikTok, and Instagram posts.
Background
President William Ruto’s foreign trips have been a hot topic in the ongoing protests against the 2024 Finance Bill. The public has criticized his travel, accusing him of hypocrisy by calling for austerity while taking lavish trips. On May 20, 2024, Ruto and his entourage embarked on a three-day state visit to the US, chartering a Boeing Business Jet B737-77W from Royal Jet, which charges about sh 2,313,000 ($18,000) per hour. The trip reportedly cost Kenya sh. 200 million.
When questioned on May 21, 2024, in Nakuru, the government spokesman highlighted the trip’s potential benefits rather than addressing the cost. Ruto later claimed that “friends of Kenya” funded the trip and that it cost Kenyans less than sh. 10 million.
Verification
A Google reverse image search redirected to a TikTok video claiming the incident happened in Uhuru Park. This led to a YouTube keyword search for “Uhuru Park Recent Videos” with the results showing similarities between the viral video and the park. This Citizen TV (0:47) news report on the park’s facelift shows that the plane on fire in the video was part of the park’s aesthetic enhancements. The poles, visible in the viral video are also similar to those in the news report.
Furthermore, a video uploaded on June 25, 2024, was among the results from the YouTube search, confirming that the incident occurred in Uhuru Park.
Verdict
Claims that the videos show President William Ruto’s private jet set on fire by protesters are FALSE.
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