By Gathuru John
A Facebook post shared on June 26, 2026, features a graphic purporting to show the front page of The Standard newspaper dated August 8, 2024, with a prominent photograph of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the headline, “KENYA DECIDES, SIFUNA IT IS.” Additional text below the headline reads: “Sifuna declares presidential intent, vows to unite Kenyans and deliver real change. STORY ON PAGE 6.”
The graphic, which claims that The Standard published a lead story announcing Sifuna’s bid for the presidency, was accompanied by the user’s caption: “2027 is a one-horse race, Edwin Sifuna vs himself…” By the time of publication, the post had accumulated over 2,300 likes and more than 720 comments.
Background
Edwin Sifuna is the incumbent Nairobi County Senator and has served as the Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) for the past decade. Before President William Ruto nominated four ODM stalwarts to his Cabinet in July 2024, Sifuna publicly maintained that ODM was not negotiating any coalition agreement with the ruling party.
Since the formation of the broad-based government, Sifuna has remained one of the most vocal critics of the arrangement within ODM. His stance has put him at odds with party members who support the alliance, with some calling for his removal as Secretary General. Despite these internal divisions, the late Raila Odinga defended Sifuna. Odinga’s death on October 15, 2025, deprived Sifuna of the protection he enjoyed from the party leader. In February 2026, the National Executive Council (NEC) of ODM removed Edwin Sifuna as the party’s Secretary General.
The sudden circulation of this claim coincides with Sifuna’s growing political footprint under the Linda Mwananchi Movement. Recent Infotrak polls placed him in a tie for third among potential presidential contenders, with 12% support. The heightened public interest in his political future has made claims about a possible presidential bid particularly prone to going viral on social media.
Verification
To verify the claim, Piga Firimbi compared the image shared in the post with the front pages published on The Standard’s newspaper archive page and official X account.
The post was shared on June 26, 2026, giving the impression that it was The Standard‘s issue for that date. However, this is the front page published on The Standard‘s official platforms for June 26, 2026:
The front page also bears the date August 8, 2024, in its nameplate. However, a comparison with The Standard’s official platforms shows this as the newspaper’s genuine front page for that date.
The comparison confirms that the Facebook post uses a fabricated front page, as it does not correspond with The Standard‘s official front pages for either of the two claimed dates.
Verdict
The front page of The Standard shared on June 26, 2026, dated August 8, 2024, is FAKE.
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