Attached to this post on X (formerly Twitter) is an image of a newspaper front page with the headline “The Mafia Cop”, claiming that The Standard newspaper had published a story uncovering a syndicate led by DIG Eliud Lagat, involving 12 Nairobi-based police commanders who allegedly channel over Sh100 million to him every month. The front page is dated June 3, 2025.
Some captions further claim the journalist behind the story was arrested, taken to a police station in Nairobi, and killed, and that more journalists have been arrested for publishing investigative pieces exposing corruption.
Background
President Ruto pledged to end extrajudicial killings, but the data tells a different story. During the June 2024 demonstrations against the Finance Bill, at least 60 people were shot and killed. Meanwhile, bloggers and social media influencers continue to face arbitrary arrests and abductions for criticizing the government, and many of those who survive recount harrowing experiences of torture in custody. Although the government has promised to investigate these incidents, progress has been slow. So far, no officers have been held accountable, raising serious concerns about justice for the victims.
Albert Ojwang’, a blogger on X, was among those targeted in the wave of arbitrary arrests, but his case ended in tragedy. He was arrested on June 6, 2025, in Homabay and transported to Nairobi to face “false publication” charges. Police later claimed he died by suicide, saying he succumbed to head injuries. His death has sparked nationwide outrage, with many demanding a thorough investigation. The public has widely rejected the official account, expressing deep skepticism over the police’s version of events. The incident has sparked calls for protests, with politicians condemning the killing here and here. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has also demanded the suspension of DIG Eliud Lagat over this.
Verification
This front page closely matches what The Standard uses, including the colour and layout, but with a slightly different font. Some clear mistakes raise questions about its authenticity. For instance, when referring to the money allegedly sent to DIG Lang’at’s account, the creator types the currency twice, a mistake that would not appear in a legitimate publication.
According to The Standard’s official account on X, the headline of the June 3, 2025, issue read “Weston Arm-Twist,” referring to the ongoing land dispute between Weston Hotel and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
The Standard Group also dismissed the front page as fake.
The claims of journalists being arrested for publishing pieces on corruption are false. If such incidents were happening, they would have been widely reported and condemned by bodies like the Media Council of Kenya, the Kenya Editors’ Guild, and the Kenya Union of Journalists. While there have been efforts to suppress the media, there is no evidence to support the claim that journalists have been arrested recently for exposing corruption.
Verdict
The post with an image claiming to show The Standard newspaper’s June 3, 2025 front page is FAKE.
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