By Faith Lagat
A newspaper-style image circulating widely on X and other social media platforms claims to show the front page of The Standard newspaper dated Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with the headline “Black Heart” above a large photograph of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The image also features photographs from the recent Africa Forward Summit, including President William Ruto alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and other delegates.
The accompanying text accuses Gachagua of undermining the summit and dismissing the significance of Macron’s visit to Kenya.
“Rigathi Gachagua has faced criticism after appearing to dismiss the Africa Forward Summit and President Macron’s visit, despite Kenya securing key bilateral talks and investment opportunities that could benefit ordinary citizens. Critics say his press briefing sought to politicize a moment focused on national development and international partnerships. PG2&3”
The X post was shared by @KiambuTweep, a Kenyan political commentary account with approximately 100,000 followers as of May 2026. Created in February 2016 and reportedly based in Kiambu County, the account is known for commentary focused on Mt. Kenya politics and national affairs.
Background
Gachagua left for his political tour of the United Kingdom on May 15, 2026. The visit was initially scheduled to last about one month and was framed around Democratic Change Party (DCP) activities, including diaspora mobilisation, establishment of party chapters abroad, and fundraising efforts targeting at least Ksh1 billion to support preparations for the 2027 General Election.
During the trip, he engaged with Kenyan diaspora communities in cities including London, Swindon, and other locations. His addresses focused on national political discourse, with emphasis on economic hardship in Kenya, rising fuel prices, governance concerns, and calls for unity and diaspora involvement in strengthening the DCP. He also announced the formation of the DCP UK Diaspora Chapter.
However, while still in the United Kingdom, Gachagua revised his travel plans and significantly shortened the visit. He cut the trip from the intended one month, citing urgent domestic developments, particularly the fuel crisis and worsening economic conditions in Kenya.
The image emerged shortly after Gachagua criticised the Africa Forward Summit, describing it as a political “sideshow.”
During the briefing, Gachagua questioned the value of agreements signed during the summit, including multi-billion-shilling deals involving French companies. He also alleged that discussions surrounding President Macron’s visit involved compensation negotiations linked to a cancelled infrastructure project.
His remarks triggered criticism from government supporters, who argued that the summit had created opportunities for investment, diplomacy, and international partnerships that could benefit Kenya.
Verification
A reverse image search of the circulating image reveals several inconsistencies with The Standard’s editorial and design standards.
The headline “Black Heart” appears in an oversized title-case format. Authentic front-page headlines published by The Standard typically use sentence case, with only the first word and proper nouns capitalised.
Further examination also shows irregularities in image placement, text alignment, spacing, and overall layout that do not match the newspaper’s professional production standards.
Significantly, both the genuine and altered versions of the May 13, 2026, edition contain the same internal newspaper serial number, 402527. This indicates that the fake cover was created by digitally editing the authentic newspaper front page rather than originating from a separate publication.
A review of the actual The Standard front page for May 13, 2026, shows that the newspaper’s lead story carried the headline “Bitok’s passport heat.”
The story focused on allegations that former Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok and Immigration Director General Evelyn Chelugut were involved in the irregular issuance of Kenyan passports and identity documents to non-citizens.
The authentic cover featured images related to that investigation and did not contain the headline “Black Heart,” any criticism of Gachagua, or references to the Africa Forward Summit.
Verdict
The image purporting to show The Standard newspaper’s May 13, 2026, front page with the headline “Black Heart” about Rigathi Gachagua is FAKE.
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