On June 7, 2025, Kenya marked 35 years because the landmark pro-democracy protests of 1990 that pushed for an finish to a one-party state, however the day was marred by violence throughout the nation. Together with the unrest, social media posts shared a graphic and claims that the African Union (AU) plans to question President William Ruto. However that is false; the graphic attributed to an area information outlet is fabricated, and the AU has not introduced such intentions, nor does it have the ability to take action.
“Breaking Information AU leaders plan to question President William Ruto amid frequent protests,” reads a submit revealed on X on July 7, 2025.
Screenshot of the false submit, taken on July 9, 2025
The accompanying graphic bears the branding of native information outlet “Kenyans.co.ke” and options a picture of a number of African leaders, together with former AU Fee chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, ex-Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and different leaders of member states, along with a smaller inset picture of Ruto shaking palms with opposition chief Raila Odinga.
The graphic additionally features a faint “Mastardcesh” watermark, which is the identify of the account that revealed it, indicating it was the supply of the declare in query.
The replies below the submit counsel customers believed the declare to be true.
One consumer requested: “Please do. How can we assist?”
“This can be a really progressive motion for the African individuals at the very least this exhibits we now have a working system for africans which might be concerted with the ppl (sic),” wrote one other.
The declare was additionally revealed on Fb right here and right here.
Nonetheless, the graphic in query is pretend, and the AU has not introduced plans to question Ruto.
Fabricated graphic
The digital card in query doesn’t seem on the official social media pages for “Kenyans.co.ke”, the place such information reviews are usually revealed.
AFP Reality Verify contacted the information outlet’s social media supervisor Adongo Kyalo, who rejected the graphic.
“This isn’t from us,” he stated, including that customers ought to “examine our social media pages on the quoted dates to verify the authenticity of the graphics”.
We additionally discovered no credible supply of proof on the AU asserting plans to question Ruto, following latest protests in Kenya.
Whereas the African Fee on Human and Peoples’ Rights, an organ of the AU, expressed concern over the latest occasions in Kenya, the continental physique doesn’t have the ability to question the president of a member state (archived right here and right here).
A sitting Kenyan president can solely be impeached by parliament, as stipulated in Article 145 of the structure (archived right here).
Saba Saba demos
On July 7, 1990, Kenyans took to the streets to combat for multi-party democracy, in what grew to become referred to as “Saba Saba”, which is Swahili for “Seven Seven” (archived right here).
On the time, Kenya was below the autocratic rule of former president Daniel arap Moi and the Kenya African Nationwide Union (KANU) celebration, which outlawed opposition events.
The historic protests turned violent, leading to a number of deaths and greater than 1,000 arrests.
Thirty-five years later, the 2025 commemoration of Saba Saba shares many similarities with the sooner motion, with nationwide protests resulting in an financial shutdown and a violent police response that left at the very least 31 lifeless and noticed over 500 arrested (archived right here and right here).
The July 7 occasions passed off simply days after equally violent demonstrations marked the anniversary of final 12 months’s finance invoice protests, which culminated in a breach of parliament (archived right here).
Ruto has since warned in opposition to makes an attempt to “overthrow” the federal government via “unconstitutional means” (archived right here).
