Fact check: The Maua petrol station photo that got Kenya talking
President William Ruto in Maua, Meru County, on April 2, 2025.
Fact check - Ruto picA photo of President William Ruto addressing a large crowd in Maua town, Meru County, on Wednesday has caused a stir with netizens labelling it fake.
Social media users have backed up their claim with a petrol station board showing old prices, which can be seen in the background of the image.
The board reads Sh142 for diesel and Sh161 for petrol, adding to the doubts about the pictures taken by the president's communications team.
Social media users zoomed in on the price board and accused the Daily Nation, whose lead story on Thursday was accompanied by the photo, of spreading false information.
On X (formerly Twitter), community notes flagged the images of the fuel price board as fake, based on the board showing past fuel prices.
"Zoom that National Oil board. Check when the petrol prices were Sh161 and Diesel Sh142. Affordable bloggers need to take their work seriously. Money has been poured, even Nation Media had to exaggerate," Kariuki GG commented on Nation.Africa's X post that has the front page of the April 3 Daily Nation.
Return to Maua
Following the uproar, Nation.Africa returned to Maua town and confirmed that the National Oil filling station had ceased operations more than two years ago. Since its closure, the price board has not been updated, giving the impression that the presidential communication for Wednesday's visit was using old pictures.
Maua National Oil fuel station on April 3, 2025. The station closed shop over two years ago, leaving the fuel prices displayed on its board the same since.
The filling station is owned by Mr Andrew Kainga, 66, a prominent businessman in Maua town.
He bought the business in 1994 from a cooperative that had established the first filling station in Maua town in the 1960s.
Andrew Kainga, the proprietor of Maua National Oil filling station. He says the station closed shop over two years ago after the collapse of National Oil Corporation's retail businesses.
Speaking to Nation.Africa, Mr Kainga said he closed the business after National Oil collapsed.
Maua National Oil fuel station on April 3, 2025. The station closed shop over two years ago, leaving the fuel prices displayed on its board the same since.
A week ago, the Competition Authority of Kenya allowed National Oil Corporation (NOC) and Rubis Energy Kenya to enter into a five-year partnership to modernise and expand National Oil.
"On Wednesday, the president was in Maua town and he addressed a multitude near my fuelling station. I started getting calls from friends and neighbours that my business was trending on social media. The image is not doctored as people are claiming on social media," Mr Kainga said.
Mr Moses Mwongera, a resident who attended the president’s meeting, said the head of state had received a resounding welcome in Mt Kenya contrary to the expectations of his rivals.
"The photos showing the president addressing a big crowd in Maua town are real and not fake or AI generated as claimed. The fuel station price board has not been in use for long," Mr Mwongera said.
He said some Kenyans expected the president to be heckled and shunned during the development tour.
"The turnout was big because we love the president here in Meru. We are glad the president came to unlock several development programmes in the county," Mr Mwongera added.
Mr Kainga said he was in the process of renovating the filling station and securing another partner.
In Maua, President Ruto launched the construction of a Huduma centre, the last mile sewerage connection for Maua town and the construction of Maua modern market.
He also pledged Sh200 million for the upgrading of roads in Maua town and promised to fast-track the construction of Maua Stadium and the gazetting of the Kiegoi University campus.
The President also vowed to "eliminate" cartels that are eating into the earnings of Maua farmers.