Kenya: Ignore Fake 'Citizen Digital' Graphic Quoting Kenyan Governor Wamatangi As Dismissing War On Illicit Brew

What the report says

Africa Check, republished by AllAfrica, reported on September 29, 2026, that a social media graphic purporting to show Kiambu county governor Kimani Wamatangi dismissing Kenya’s crackdown on illicit alcohol is fake. The image circulated with Citizen Digital branding and appeared to quote the governor as saying he would keep issuing bar licences because the county economy depends on taxing bars. The fact-check said the post spread widely online in Kenya.

According to the report, several details suggested the graphic was not authentic. It pointed to unusual capitalization and punctuation, differences in layout and color treatment compared with a genuine Citizen Digital graphic, and the absence of the image from Citizen Digital’s verified Facebook and X accounts. Africa Check said it compared the disputed image with a real example from the outlet and found clear design inconsistencies.

The article matters because misinformation around the illicit brew crackdown could distort public debate about a campaign that has been linked to deaths in Kenya. Kiambu, the county governed by Wamatangi, is north of Nairobi. Citizen Digital is an online news platform operated by Royal Media Services, while KEBS is Kenya’s standards agency. Africa Check concluded that the graphic should be disregarded as false.