Viral Image Claiming Kenya's Fred Matiang'i Slept During Citizen TV Interview Is Altered, Fact-Check Finds

A viral screenshot shared on social media in April 2026 falsely claimed to show Fred Matiang'i asleep during a live TV interview on Citizen TV, AllAfrica reported. In the altered image, Matiang'i's eyes are closed and his head tilts slightly to the left while he wears a light blue coat, a pink shirt and a lapel microphone. " in English.

Another post claimed that Fred Matiang'i appeared to doze off mid-conversation during the live interview on Citizen TV, prompting host Jeff Koinange to repeatedly try and get him back on track. The posts alleged that Matiang'i is unfit to be a presidential aspirant. The circulating image showing Fred Matiang'i asleep has been altered.

A matching original image from the same interview was posted on 19 April 2026. In the original image posted on 19 April 2026, Fred Matiang'i has his eyes open while in the same position with his head slightly tilted. The original image was captured at 9:18 pm with all other details matching the viral version.

An interview with Fred Matiang'i on Citizen TV Sunday Live was posted on YouTube on 19 April 2026. At the 9:18 pm timestamp in the YouTube video of the Citizen TV interview, Fred Matiang'i had not dozed off. During the Citizen TV interview, Fred Matiang'i spoke about his presidential ambitions and positioned himself to succeed President William Ruto in the 2027 general election.

Fred Matiang'i previously served as cabinet secretary heading various ministries under former president Uhuru Kenyatta between 2013 and 2022. He has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election in which President William Ruto will seek re-election. Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media.