The original image of Odinga does not have the UDA branding.
A photo shared on X (formerly Twitter) of opposition leader and former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga wearing the United Democratic Alliance (UDA)-branded attire is ALTERED.
In the photo, Raila Odinga is wearing a yellow T-shirt and a white hat bearing the UDA symbol.
UDA is the current ruling party in Kenya led by President William Samoei Ruto while Odinga is the leader of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance, the opposition coalition party in Kenya.
Raila, being the opposition leader has in many circumstances critiqued the government.
The photo was widely shared after the former prime minister agreed to a dialogue with Ruto over the ongoing anti-government demonstrations led by the Gen-Z , a move that was highly criticised. Odinga made the statement during the IEBC Bill ascension at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC).
VERIFICATION
However, there are no reports of Odinga’s defecting to UDA prompting an investigation into the photo.
A Fotoforensics analysis showed that some parts of the photo were altered particularly where the logos appear.
A close look at the photo also showed signs of manipulation around Odinga’s fingers.
A further investigation on whether the photo was AI-generated indicated that the image is 29.77% AI and 72.02% Human, indicating that the photo was likely partly altered.
A further keyword search of Raila Odinga in a UDA branded T-shirt showed a debunk by Pesa Check in 2022, an indication that the image has been altered several times. However, in the debunk, the t-shirt and the cap were white with a UDA symbol as opposed to the Yellow T-shirt.
From the debunk, in the original image, Odinga wore a white shirt and hat. The Kipkeino Classic logo appeared on the original shirt with the words ‘Nairobi 2022’.
The KipKeino Classic is a track and field meeting held every year at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. The event is named after an Olympian Kipchoge Keino. The inaugural edition was held in 2020.
VERDICT
The image of Raila Odinga in the UDA attire is manipulated. In the original image Odinga is wearing a shirt with the Kipkeino Classic logo and it was taken at an event in 2022. Odinga and the UDA have also not announced the defection. Therefore, the photo is ALTERED.
This fact-check was produced by Lake Region Bulletin, under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).
