Image of Ruto with a panga as he addresses crowd is altered

 

A photo shared on Facebook appearing to show Deputy President William Ruto holding a panga is ALTERED.

In the photo, the deputy president appears to be holding a panga in his right hand and a microphone on the left as a huge crowd throngs his motorcade. The text on the post says, “Ruto has been staging attacks to attract sympathy.”

Altered image

However, a Google reverse image search and an online search reveals that the original photo, which was first seen online in October 2020, shows Ruto addressing a crowd and gesturing with his right hand. The open palm has no panga. 

The only item he is holding is the microphone in his left hand.

Original image

The image was captured when Deputy President William Ruto addressed residents of Githurai in Kiambu county, on his way to Nairobi after attending a church service in Murang’a on October 5.

PesaCheck has looked into a photo shared on Facebook claiming to show Deputy President William Ruto holding a panga and finds it to be ALTERED.