Is this quote attributed to Gideon Moi saying he will not dine with thieves and murderers authentic?

A post shared on March 18, 2025, by ‘The Government Critic’, an X account with 82.5K followers features a quote attributed to Gideon Moi, the former Baringo Senator and youngest son of Kenya’s second president, Daniel Arap Moi. 

The card, posted with the caption “Your thoughts?” with the message: “NO THANK YOU! I WILL NOT DINE WITH THIEVES AND MURDERERS. MY FATHER TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE A MAN OF INTEGRITY AND SO I WILL NOT BETRAY KENYANS.”

Background

KANU Chairman Gideon Moi has dismissed any possibility of political cooperation with President William Ruto, emphasizing that his priority remains the people of Baringo. “I do not need a handshake; I only need a handshake with the people of Baringo. I will come back to you, and you will guide me,” he said. He made these remarks on March 15, 2025, during the burial of the late Willy Kamuren  in Aiyebo (Baringo North). Kamuren,  the first MP for Baringo East—now Tiaty—who was elected at the age of 26 in 1963. 

Amid growing speculation about a potential handshake, the funeral became a stage for political pronouncements, with Baringo leaders advocating for unity with the government to secure development opportunities for the county. Some leaders emphasized the need for loyalty to the current administration, arguing that aligning with the president was crucial for the region’s progress. Gideon has refuted speculations about a potential handshake even as political leaders across the country begin to strategize for the 2027 elections. Recently, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga signed a cooperation agreement with President William Ruto to work together until 2027.

Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi stressed the importance of aligning with the current administration, saying, “Loyalty should not be confused with sycophancy. We must be loyal to the present leadership and the president.” Eldama Ravine MP Musa Sirma also asked Moi to clarify when he plans to have a handshake with President Ruto. In response, Mr Moi reiterated that leaders are expected to serve the people first. “When you are with the people, everything falls into place automatically,” he said, responding to calls from a section of leaders, including Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap to support the handshake between President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, adding, “We must allow the President to build a united country”.

However, Gideon Moi remained defiant, rejecting calls to align with President Ruto’s administration. His stance highlights growing political divisions in Baringo County, where residents have expressed concerns over a perceived leadership vacuum since his 2022 electoral defeat to the late Senator William Cheptumo. 

Following the recent passing of Senator Cheptumo, there have been increasing calls for Moi to contest in the upcoming senate by-election. The political divide in Baringo now sets the stage for a heated battle in the senatorial race, with implications for the 2027 general elections.

Verification

The alleged quote in the digital card does not match Gideon Moi’s actual words spoken on March 15, 2025, during the burial of the late Willy Kamuren. There is no verifiable record of him using the term “thieves and murderers”, or making any statement resembling the one in the viral post, which had 1.7K likes at the time this article was published. At the end of his speech, Moi welcomed the unity of the Baringo leaders and hinted at future cooperation.

Additionally, if he had made such a controversial statement, it would have been reported by major media outlets. Both The Nation and The Star covered the funeral, and their reports did not have any such comments. Further, a Google search of Gideon Moi with terms that specifically mention Senator Kamuren’s funeral show that no such reports have been published.

Further discrepancies raise suspicion about the authenticity of the digital card. In the viral image, Moi is shown speaking into a red microphone, whereas, at the actual event in Baringo, he used a black microphone.

The photo itself appears to be a file photo that Nation Media Group used in a social media post from March 17th 2025 dismissing the likelihood of a handshake between Mr Moi and President William Ruto, and a July 2nd, 2023 article quoting Mr Moi urging the government to act to curb the rise of road accidents in Londiani.

VERDICT
The claim by the digital card attributed to Gideon Moi saying he ‘will not dine with thieves and murderers’ is FAKE.