FAKE: This Mwangi Kiunjuri X account is an imposter

Mwangi Kiunjuri, MP, has disowned the account through his verified X (formerly Twitter) platform.

This X (formerly Twitter) account running in the name of Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri is FAKE. 

In one of the suspect posts, the caption states, “NOTICE: I have seen my name read in parliament purporting that I signed the impeachment motion against DP Rigathi Gachagua. I want to disassociate myself from the impeachment of our deputy President. I WILL NOT PARTICIPATE.”

Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is facing an impeachment inquiry in the National Assembly with MPs taking a final vote on Tuesday, 08th October 2024. 

Upon investigation, Maudhui House established that Mr. Kiunjuri, who is the sitting MP for Laikipia East Constituency has refuted this claim through his verified X account, stating that: I have taken note of the message below that has been going around purporting to be from my account. Fake account.”

Additionally, in his verified account, Mr. Kiunjuri identifies himself as: Party Leader @TheServiceParty, Former: Cabinet Secretary, Assistant Minister, 3-term MP Laikipia East.  2022 National Assembly Member, Laikipia East.

In the FAKE X account, however, whose handle is @MwangiKiunjuri_ the owner claims he is the Member of Parliament Laikipia East.former Cabinet Secretary for agricultural (sic). 

A comparison of the fake vs the original Kiunjuri X account.

Another red flag is that the account shows the user joined the X platform in August 2024. Mr. Kiunjuri MP has been on X for many years, as early as 2016 according to his verified account.

Although the suspect X account uses background colours and theme of Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party (TSP), it is not authentic because Kiunjuri’s bonafide X account is verified.

What’s more, Mr. Kiunjuri’s legit account has more followers (over 34,700) compared to the imposter account that has 2,951 followers currently.

Maudhui House examined an X account tweeting messages purported to be from Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri, the Laikipia East MP and found it to be FAKE.

This fact-check was published by Maudhui House with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact-Checking Alliance.