A Nigerian music artiste, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa popularly called Charly Boy has posted a video online alongside a claim that Kenyan lawmakers were seen running for their lives and hiding in the bush after being chased by protesters.
In the footage posted on X (formerly Twitter) on July 5, 2024, some people could be seen dressed in corporate wears while having their meals in what looked like a lunch setting as they conversed in an African language.
The caption on the post read:
Kenyan parliamentarians, after running for their lives ended up eating in the bush. Nigerian youths ooooo This will be benediction for Nigerian APC government, parliamentarians, low and high ministers, Ambassadors, ect ect. Kenya’s current dispensation is Just a friendly “good morning” compared to what’s looming and Awaits the so called giant of them all.
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It will be recalled that on June 18, 2024, protests erupted in Kenya with citizens demanding President William Ruto‘s resignation over a finance bill they believe will increase taxes and exacerbate the already difficult economic situation in the country. The police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, but the demonstrations turned deadly on Tuesday when youths entered the Parliament building.
A section of the Kenyan Parliament was set on fire while lawmakers were inside. The protesters, outnumbering the police, forced their way into the premises, causing the lawmakers to flee.
These actions made President Ruto to call of the Finance Bill 2024, on June 26, 2024.
Charly Boy’s post on X has garnered over 540,000 views, with more than 4,000 likes and over 2,500 reposts as of July 12, 2024.
CLAIM
Video shows Kenyan lawmakers hiding in the bush after being chased by protesters.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING!

Our fact-checker observed that the video had a TikTok‘s watermark which indicated that the video was likely shared on the social media app originally.
A TikTok search revealed that the footage was posted with no caption on the app by one Godfredy Kimath with the username: @gkimath7 on June 2, 2024. It has garnered over 1.2 million views on TikTok as of July 12.
However, further checks conducted on a screenshot from the footage using Google Lens search displayed an earlier version of the video posted on June 1, 2024 by an X user, James Mbowe (@JamesMbowe4). The video post had a caption written in an African language later identified to be Swahili, using Google Translate.
The caption on the X post in Swahili read thus:
Jana tulishiriki Ibada ya Mwisho ya Mzee Francis Koka (104) Baba Mzazi wa Mh Koka Mbunge wa Kibaha mjini. Ibada hii ilifanyika Kijiji cha Mkolowonyi Marangu. Mzee Francis amemaliza Safari yake ya hapa Duniani akiwa na Umri wa Miaka 104. Hakika tunamshukuru sana Mungu kwa Zawadi ya Umri mrefu kwa Mzee Francis. Ambaye Hata katika uzee wake bado alikuwa na akili timamu. Mungu aiweke Roho ya Mtumishi wake mahali pema Amen.
When translated into English language, using Google Translate, it read thus:
Yesterday we participated in the Last Service of Elder Francis Koka (104), Father of Mr. Koka, Member of Parliament for Kibaha in the city. This ceremony was held in Mkolowonyi Marangu Village. Mzee Francis has finished his journey here on Earth at the age of 104. We are truly grateful to God for the gift of a long life to Mzee Francis. Who even in his old age was still sane. May God rest the soul of his servant in the right place, Amen.
Also, the same footage with similar caption in Swahili was also posted on the Instagram account of the same James Mbowe on June 1 as seen here.
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A Google search on the keywords ‘Koka Kibaha Parliament‘ displayed results that show the name belonged to Silvestry Fransis Koka, a Tanzanian politician from the CCM party and member of Parliament for Kibaha Mjini constituency in Tanzania.
Further checks on Marangu, the location of the funeral event mentioned in the X post, using Google search showed that it is a town situated on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Moreover, a Tanzanian news blog, Nukta, had also on July 8, 2024 debunked the claim via its publication.
The FactCheckHub have repeatedly debunked false information being spread by Charly Boy as seen here, here and here.
In the heat of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, The FactCheckHub analysed how Charly Boy spreads disinformation to promote Peter Obi’s candidacy during the presidential election.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the video shows Kenyan lawmakers hiding in the bush after being chased by protesters is MISLEADING; the video was a scene at the interment event held for the late Elder Francis Koka, the father of a Tanzanian parliamentarian (Silvestry Koka), held in Marangu, Tanzania.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].