'Team Uhuru' Campaign Outfit Hijacked

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto at the merger to form Jubilee Party in September 2016.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto at the merger to form Jubilee Party in September 2016.
File

Kenyans.co.ke has reliably learned that an outfit formed to run President Uhuru Kenyatta's campaign has been hijacked.

'Team Uhuru' which was formed by President Kenyatta's Personal Secretary Jomo Gecaga to manage his presidential campaigns in 2013 and 2017, has lost control of its Facebook platform which has over 96,000 followers.

A spot check showed that the page has been running campaigns for Deputy President William Ruto, covering his tours and engagements since July, taking a break from sharing President Uhuru Kenyatta's activities.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Team Uhuru National Coordinator Isaac Ngugi, alias Ngugi IG, admitted that indeed the page had been taken over by hackers who are yet to be identified.

President Uhuru Kenyatta's personal secretary Jomo Gecaga speaking at a past event
President Uhuru Kenyatta's personal secretary Jomo Gecaga speaking at a past event
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"The page has been hijacked by characters who are impersonating Team Uhuru. That is not our position. Our position is that of the president who has been advocating for suspension of politics. 

"It is important to note that Team Uhuru does not have a bank account or an M-PESA line so anyone who will be approached to send money to the outfit should take note," he explained.

The national coordinator added that the team would institute legal action against those found culpable of what he described as hacking.

He added that the culprits had removed him from the management of the page and could not see who had made the series of suspicious posts.

"The account was hacked and not in safe hands but we are trying to recover it. The content that they are pushing is not in our core mandate. We don't do politics and are focused on development. Team Uhuru is about preaching the agenda of the President not any other person," Ngugi asserted. 

 

Members of Team Uhuru during a past engagement
Members of Team Uhuru during a past engagement
File

A background check showed that five of the current administrators were based in Kenya while one was in the US. 

One of the recent posts made by the hijacker claims "Team Uhuru agrees with the Hustler's Clerk (a moniker given to Deputy President William Ruto) that the priority is economic empowerment and not a constitutional moment."

The message seemed to be a direct contradiction with President's Kenyatta's view on the importance of revising the current constitution.

On August 26, the Head of State reiterated his stance that time had come to amend the 2010 Constitution.

He added that the Constitution was adopted on August 27, 2010, with the promise that it would be improved in future.

“Ten years later, the moment to improve on it is now,” President Kenyatta assetted in an address to the nation.

“We must treat a constitution as a living document that must constantly adjust to emerging realities,” he added.   

Team Uhuru National Coordinator Isaac Ngugi
Team Uhuru National Coordinator Isaac Ngugi
File
A suspicious post made by hackers who took over the Team Uhuru Facebook page
A suspicious post made by hackers who took over the Team Uhuru Facebook page
File

 

A suspicious post made by hackers who took over Team Uhuru Facebook page
A suspicious post made by hackers who took over the Team Uhuru Facebook page
File
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