Kenya: Image of Kenyan Senator Edwin Sifuna Asleep At Public Event Is Doctored

What the report says

Africa Check, republished by AllAfrica, says a viral image claiming to show Kenyan senator Edwin Sifuna asleep and drunk at a public event is not genuine. The post featured Sifuna, who represents Nairobi and has said he intends to run for president in Kenya’s 2027 election, alongside veteran broadcaster Fred Machoka at Machoka’s 50-year broadcasting celebration in Nairobi.

According to the fact-check, the picture spread after the October 10 event and was amplified by online claims that the senator was “drunk and disorderly.” The article notes that Sifuna did attend the celebration, which included performances by musicians such as Congolese singer Koffi Olomide, and that President William Ruto later mocked Sifuna’s new political party and referred to the event.

Africa Check compared the circulating image with video from the ceremony published by Royal Media Services. It found that both men were present in the footage, but neither appeared asleep. The report also pointed to visual inconsistencies, including differences in Sifuna’s wristwatch and in Machoka’s facial features and clothing details. An AI image detector also flagged a high likelihood that the picture was generated or altered, though the publication cautioned that such tools are not definitive.

The finding matters because it underlines how manipulated images can be used to spread misleading political narratives online, especially around public figures and election-related speculation.