An alleged statement from Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta went viral on Saturday, April 1, claiming that the former Head of State was unimpressed with Azimio la Umoja protests.
The false and misleading statement further claimed that UIhuru cautioned his party leader, Raila Odinga, against mass action plunging the country into chaos.
"I take this opportunity to call on fellow Kenyans to uphold peace. What we are witnessing in the country is very disturbing and takes us down a risky path," the statement alleged.
It was also claimed that Uhuru forgave those who wronged him, including the youth who invaded his Northland farm along Eastern Bypass and Kedong Ranch in Narok.
"On my part, I have forgiven anybody who has wronged me, and I hope our leaders realise the value of peace," the statement claimed.
However, a fact-check by Kenyans.co.ke indicated that the statement was doctored to hoodwink Kenyans on April 1, Fools' Day. Several media houses treated their audiences to a surprise, with satirical and humourous articles.
Nonetheless, the statement on Kenyatta went viral and was carried by blogs and shared on social media platforms, mainly WhatsApp.
The former Head of State often communicates through the Office of the Retired President and his social media channels, the Office of the 4th President of Kenya.
Uhuru also occasionally speaks through his proxies, including Jubilee secretary general, Jeremiah Kioni. Kioni, has constantly reiterated that Uhuru was still in Azimio La Umoja and recognised the party's decisions.
On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Retired President Uhuru, through Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni, castigated United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leadership for allegedly threatening to invade his property properties.
"I heard UDA people address a press conference yesterday (Tuesday, March 21), and among them, they threatened to invade the properties of Uhuru Kenyatta.
"As the Jubilee Secretary-General, I want to state that this is taking it too far. We would want police officers to take action on any person who threatens any Kenyan's right to own property," Kioni stated on Wednesday, March 22.
Raila Odinga, while castigating the attacks in Uhuru's Northlands City and his Spectre gas company, added that he was in communication with the retired president.
"Yes, Uhuru Kenyatta is a member of this movement. He is still the chairman of this movement, but he’s restrained himself. He has had no time to engage in domestic issues at all. Neither has he commented or talked about what is going on in the country,” Raila, himself, added in March 2023 in an interview with BBC.
Uhuru's last public appearance was in Nigeria, while observing elections with African Union Election Observers Mission (AUEOM).
Among the leaders who accompanied Uhuru included former Sierra Leone President Bai Koroma and the head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mission to Nigeria.
Uhuru himself has not yet spoken about the Azimio mass action, the raid on his farm, and being accused of financing Azimio protests.
