An X (formerly Twitter) user, Wanjiru, has raised doubts about Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s recent claims that luxury brand Gucci is planning to set up a factory in Kenya and create thousands of jobs.
In a post, Wanjiru shared that she had called Gucci directly to inquire about the Deputy President’s remarks, only to be told that the company had no knowledge of any such plans.
Wanjiru posted a screenshot of her call log, showing a 1-minute and 37-second conversation with a Gucci representative, along with the message: “Just finished a call and they have no information on what Kindiki said yesterday. Confirmed lies!!”
Kindiki’s statement had sparked excitement, as he encouraged Kenyan youths to remain optimistic about government-led job creation efforts, claiming that the government, under President William Ruto, was bringing in foreign investors like Gucci.
He urged the youth to stop being negative and embrace the opportunities being created by the government’s outreach to international companies.
However, Wanjiru’s phone call casts doubt on these claims, with Gucci apparently unaware of any such plans.
This controversy follows a similar incident from a few weeks ago when the Grammy Awards were forced to issue a statement denying that they had received Ksh 5 million from the Kenyan government to host the event in the country.
The Grammy organization also clarified that they do not charge for hosting events, further complicating the narrative around foreign investments and government dealings.
With these incidents, questions about the accuracy of official statements regarding foreign investment in Kenya continue to surface.
All the same, it remains to be seen if Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, his office or even his allies will respond to the development that taint him as a liar without credentials.