MISLEADING! A viral photo of bloodied-face MP is not from Kenya

Claim:#RejectFinanceBill2024 Protesters beat up Kenyan MPJohn Chikati Murumba

Source: Viral image

Verdict: MISLEADING

Researched  by Abdur Rahman Shaban 

A photo allegedly of a Kenyan Member of Parliament (MP) with a bruised bloodied face has gone viral on social media platforms, Facebook and X. The photo is being suggested to show John Chikati Murumba, MP for Tongaren, allegedly attacked by anti-tax protesters who stormed the National Assembly in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital on June 25, 2024.

One of the top sharers of the post was X user (@OmwanbaKE) whose post has so far been viewed 1.6 million times with over 39,400 interactions (21,000 likes, 6,300 reports and 2,100 comments).

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Background

Young Kenyans have embarked on a massive protest against a Finance Bill being considered by the National Assembly which aims to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes to reduce the budget deficit and state borrowing.

On June 25, 2025, when lawmakers were concluding deliberations and set to vote on the Bill, a planned protest dubbed #RejectFinanceBill2024 hit the capital and other counties (regions) across the East African nation.

The running battles with police started in the centre of Nairobi as protesters made their intent clear that they wanted to reach the Parliament to confront lawmakers. Despite a police crackdown including the use of live rounds, tear gas and water cannons, the protesters eventually breached the police lines and invaded the lawmaking complex.

President William Ruto in a televised address to the nation has since suspended the Finance Bill 2024 even after lawmakers voted to pass it. 

Fact-Check

With the protest actively playing out on social media, photos and videos of major incidents were being widely shared online. Several media houses shared snippets of dead protesters, tear-gassed youth, portions of the National Assembly in flames and the moment the protesters breached the security barrier at the Parliament among others.

Two photos, however, became dominant. One showed protesters helping themselves to a buffet, ostensibly lunch for the lawmakers. The other photo was the alleged bloodied-face portrait of the said MP, John Chikati Murumba.

A simple Google reverse image search showed that the photo was first posted online in May 2024. An online article by a credible Ugandan news platform states that:

1.   The person in the picture is Ugandan MP, Francis Mwijukye, an MP for Buhweju County.
2.   He was attacked over a land dispute on May 12, 2024.

Further checks showed that the assaulted Ugandan MP later granted an interview on his predicament to the state-owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) as posted on YouTube.

Here is a personal account by the MP, Mwijukye Francis of what happened on Sunday, 12th May 2024, at St. Jude, Rwanyamabale Catholic Church in Buhweju District (here).

Verdict

GhanaFact has found that the photo is not of the Kenyan lawmaker and the image has been in circulation since May 12, 2024, therefore the claim is Misleading.