A screenshot has been circulating online alleging that the Deputy President William Ruto has quit Jubilee Party to revive his former party, United Republican Party (URP).
The post claims that the DP has cited unresolvable issues with President Uhuru Kenyatta has the reason for leaving the party, while at the same time, wishing the president well for the remainder of his term.
A Twitter user, Kenya Revolt HSC, had shared the screenshot claiming that the tweet had ‘mysteriously disappeared from the DP’s Twitter handle in a record 5 seconds’.
This tweet mysteriously disappeared from DP Ruto’s Twitter handle in a record 5 seconds. pic.twitter.com/HINOUoqsYZ
— Kenya Revolt HSC (@TheParrotKE) January 4, 2020
However, the Opera News Desk has established that there was no such post and the remarks were fake news.
A number of unsuspecting Twitter users had already shared and retweeted the Saturday morning tweet.
The Director of Digital New Media and Diaspora at the Presidential Strategic and Communication Unit (PSCU) Dennis Itumbi confirmed the post to be fake while claiming that the DP uses Android and not IPhone to tweet. He also said that Uhuru and Ruto signed a sunrise clause of 10 years, and thus URP can only return in 2027.
Obviously Fake.
1. DP @WilliamsRuto tweets using Android not IPhone
2. All parties signed a sunrise clause of 10 years – URP can only return in 2027.
3. What time is 5:5am?
4. It shows Retweeted on @Twitter NOT ReTweeted
Even Photoshop lies require a little research! https://t.co/QRfklB2v0k
— Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) January 4, 2020
DP Ruto had, in October, launched a scathing attack on Daily Nation for reporting that his relationship with the President had worsened after his alleged attempts to cajole Uhuru into summoning Jubilee Party’s Parliamentary Group meeting backfired.
According to the report, Uhuru turned to opposition outfits ODM and Wiper to push Parliament to raise the borrowing ceiling to Sh9 trillion.
But Ruto, who was not happy with the story, said the information was fake news, while at the same time dismissing claims of the President turning to ODM and Wiper.
FAKE NEWS at it again! I chaired the IBEC meeting that approved the matter way before it came to parliament. Unfortnately for nation Uhuruto is inseparable. They should either register as a political party then compete with Jubilee or operate a gutter journal for makotsi to run pic.twitter.com/elEcQE3p1j
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 14, 2019