NAIROBI, Kenya — Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has dismissed a viral image circulating on social media that appears to show him kneeling before President William Ruto, terming it digitally manipulated and intended to mislead the public.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, January 20, Mutua said the image was not authentic and had been generated or altered using artificial intelligence tools to spread misinformation and create a false narrative.
“I wish to alert the public that a manipulated, AI-generated image is currently circulating online, falsely portraying me in a compromising and misleading situation. The image is not real and has been digitally altered to spread misinformation and create misunderstanding,” Mutua said.
The CS cautioned Kenyans against sharing unverified content, noting the growing misuse of digital tools to distort facts and damage reputations.
“I urge all Kenyans to verify information from credible sources and to avoid sharing unverified or sensational content. Let us work together to stop the spread of digital misinformation,” he added.
Mutua’s clarification also revives scrutiny around past misinformation linked to his docket. In May 2025, the Labour CS was forced to publicly address claims that the government had facilitated fake overseas job opportunities for Kenyans, following complaints from individuals who alleged they had been recruited for jobs in Qatar but were never deployed.
In a statement dated May 2, 2025, Mutua said those affected were not part of any official government labour export programme, attributing the incidents to unregistered and rogue recruitment agencies exploiting job seekers.
“We have witnessed disturbing cases of fraudulent messages, incitement from certain quarters, and the involvement of unauthorized and unregistered recruitment agents who are preying on the hopes and aspirations of young Kenyans,” Mutua said at the time.
He stressed that the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection would not tolerate exploitation of Kenyans seeking employment, vowing firm action against individuals and agencies operating outside the law.
“To protect the integrity of this and future programs, the Ministry has put in place comprehensive safeguards, including blacklisting and prosecution of rogue agents and agencies operating outside legal frameworks,” he said.
Mutua added that the ministry had upgraded its verification and vetting systems to ensure that only accredited and credible recruitment pathways are approved, as part of broader efforts to safeguard labour migration programmes.
