Exposing more fake front pages linking Kenya’s former deputy president Gachagua to chaos during protests
Two front pages resembling the design of Kenya’s Standard newspaper accuse former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua of paying young people to incite chaos during protests. However, both images have been digitally altered.
Kenya’s former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua funded the destruction that occurred during June 2025 protests. That’s according to two images that appear to be the front pages of the Standard newspaper.
The first image resembles the 19 June issue of the newspaper and features the headline: “Rigathi: Godfather of Disruption.”
According to its summary, political observers have argued that the chaos witnessed during the protests “bears hallmarks of strategic staging – an attempt to paint the government as brutal and intolerant”.
“By quietly orchestrating unrest while publicly backing civil liberties, Gachagua is accused of playing both sides: fueling disorder to delegitimize the state, while posing as the voice of a ‘betrayed’ region,” it reads.
The second image, apparently the 21 June front page, bears the headline: “Master of Mayhem: How Gachagua Fuels Street Chaos.”
According to the summary, Gachagua is no longer hiding in the shadows and “behind the smoke of Gen Z protests lies a calculated scheme to destabilize the country, provoke destruction, and discredit a peaceful government”.
“Sources confirm he is the silent funder and director of this chaos – using angry youth as pawns to paint the state as brutal and lawless,” it reads.
Both front pages feature pictures of Gachagua alongside images of protesters.
Blame game over violent protests
The series of protests in June began with demonstrations by human rights activists and young Kenyans, commonly referred to as generation Z or Gen Z, over the death of Albert Ojwang. The 31-year-old social media influencer died in police custody on 8 June.
The protests built momentum leading up to 25 June, when young Kenyans commemorated the anniversary of the June 2024 protests against the widely unpopular Finance Bill.
The 2025 demonstrations commemorated protestors killed by police during the previous protests, and sought to decry police brutality and poor governance. These events have themselves been marred by violence, resulting in deaths and the destruction of property.
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Gachagua and president William Ruto’s administration have blamed each other for the chaos witnessed during the protests. While Gachagua maintains that the government is sponsoring thugs to incite disorder, politicians within the government blame him instead.
Gachagua served as Kenya’s deputy president from 2022 until his impeachment in October 2024, after a political falling-out with Ruto. The president and his allies accused Gachagua of corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and undermining the government.
But are these front pages authentic? We checked.
Fake front pages
Africa Check discovered that both front pages originated from a Facebook page called Daily Standard. This page has posted dozens of fake front pages mimicking the design of the Standard newspaper, which strongly suggests that these viral images are also fabricated.
The Standard newspaper usually posts digital versions of its front pages on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X, as well as on its e-paper platform. We searched these accounts and the platform and found the original publications.
The original front page of the 19 June 2025 issue carries the headline: “Thug bosses.” It discusses Nairobi county governor Johnson Sakaja and Kenya’s police boss Douglas Kanja, and their roles in the chaos that erupted during the protests.
The genuine front page for 21 June features the headline: “Public disgrace.” It discusses Renson Ingonga’s performance as the country’s director of public prosecutions.
The versions doing the rounds on social media have been altered.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
