Kenya: No, Kenya's Standard Newspaper Did Not Publish 'Black Heart' Front Page Criticising Ex-VP Gachagua

No, Kenya's Standard newspaper did not publish 'Black Heart' front page criticising ex-VP Gachagua

IN SHORT: What looks like the front page of the Standard newspaper has been circulating on social media, with a headline story that former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua criticised the Africa Forward Summit and the French president's visit to Kenya. However, the genuine 13 May 2026 edition had a different headline.

An image appearing to show the front page of Kenya's Standard newspaper is circulating on social media. It claims that former Kenyan deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has come under fire for criticising the Africa Forward Summit and French president Emmanuel Macron's visit to Kenya.

The summit in Nairobi in May 2026 convened African and international leaders, policymakers, investors and technology stakeholders to discuss topics such as economic growth, innovation, climate action and global partnerships.

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The front page, dated 13 May 2026, carries the prominent headline "Black Heart".

The summary beneath it says that Gachagua faced criticism for dismissing the summit and Macron's visit, despite the event delivering bilateral talks and investment opportunities expected to benefit Kenyans.

The page features a photo of Gachagua alongside images of president William Ruto, Emmanuel Macron and delegates attending the summit.

Gachagua has been a vocal critic of Ruto's administration since his impeachment from his position as deputy president in 2024, possibly making the front page believable to some social media users.

Macron's visit also focused on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between Kenya and France. His visit sparked mixed reactions online with some Kenyans welcoming it as a chance to improve relations with France and attract investment while others criticised Kenya's seeming dependence on foreign partnerships or questioned the event's political importance.

This front page has also been posted here and here. But is it authentic? We checked.

Fake front page

Several design elements differ from the Standard's usual style. The suspicious cover capitalises the first letter of every word in the headline while the Standard typically capitalises only the first word and proper nouns. The viral image shows the abbreviation "PG 2&3", while the newspaper normally writes "Pages" in full and displays page references in white text.

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We also checked the Standard's verified social media accounts and e-paper platform, where the newspaper regularly publishes its front pages.

The genuine 13 May 2026 carried the headline: "Bitok's passport heat."

That story focused on allegations that former immigration principal secretary Julius Bitok and immigration director general Evelyn Chelugut facilitated the issuing of Kenyan passports and identification documents to foreigners.

The circulating front page with the headline "Black Heart" does not match the newspaper's authentic edition and is fake.