Former Kenyan deputy leader Rigathi Gachagua was sacked in October 2024 after a bitter falling out with President William Ruto. A TikTok post shared after Gachagua's ouster said the two leaders had reunited and promised to work together. This is false: An AFP Intelligence Check found the images in the post to be old while the audio dates back to Ruto's speech at the 2022 national prayer breakfast, when he asked for forgiveness from Kenyans and the man who he was preceded by Uhuru Kenyatta – not Gachagua.
“Latest news..!!!! Ruto meets Gachagua, asks for forgiveness and promises to work together” and “Ruto reunites with Gachagua,” read text over his TikTok posts published on 25 October 2024.
Screenshot of the fake post, taken on December 10, 2024
“To the great people of the Republic of Kenya, I know we have done our best. We may not have done what you would have expected from us,” Ruto is heard saying in the video.
“We have not been as united as we should have been. We have failed in some areas; we want — and especially myself — I want your forgiveness. I also know on this occasion that many people have hurt me.”
The clip contains two pictures of Ruto and Gachagua cordial.
Tight political alliances
On 17 October 2024, the Kenyan Senate voted for him take away Gachagua, making him the first vice president to be expelled in this manner since his impeachment has been introduced in the constitution of Kenya 2010 (deposited here and here).
Kenya's president and his deputy fall out two years after taking office, with camps trade bargain over allegations of treason (archived here).
As deputy president in the previous government, a falling out by the then president Kenyatta (archive here). Citing humiliation from Kenyatta's supporters, he said vowed at the time not to allow his deputy to suffer the same fate if elected president in the 2022 polls (archived here).
Ruto and Gachagua met for the first time since the impeachment at the event celebrating the consecration and installation of Bishop Kimani Ndung'u in Embu County on November 16.
Gachagua sat among the congregation but the couple did not speak. It was also the first time since Ruto's swearing-in ceremony in September 2022 that he and Kenyatta shared a stage (archived here).
TikTok's post of the alleged reunion between the Kenyan leaders, however, is false.
Unrelated images and audio
AFP Intelligence Research conducted background image checks and found news reports from October 2024 with the same images appearing in a TikTok post.
“Kenyan President William Ruto, left, and Rigathi Gachagua during the 2022 election season,” reads the caption below the photo of the two men shaking hands, which was featured in Al Jazeera on October 18. article (archive here).
The image of the two holding the watch next to former second lady Dorcas Rigathi appeared in a a story Published on 11 October 2024 by The Kenya Times (archived here).
“President William Ruto and DP Rigathi Gachagua at Mashujaa Day Celebration October 20, 2023,” the caption reads.
Screenshots of the original images published by Al Jazeera (left) and The Kenya Times (right)
Using keywords from the audio, AFP Fact Check found it was taken from speech Ruto delivered at the 2022 national prayer breakfast (see from minute 2'18″; archived here).
At the time, Ruto was Kenyatta's deputy.
Starting at 2'56”, Ruto asked for forgiveness from Kenyatta at the address.
“I also know that I may be serving as vice president, I may not have expected from my boss, his excellency the president, my good friend I ask for your forgiveness,” he said.
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