Itumbi: Machakos defeat WhatsApp screenshot ‘nonsense on high heels’

Digital strategist Dennis Itumbi has denied reports suggesting he and other Deputy President William Ruto’s top aides trended the name Lee Funeral Home on Twitter on Friday morning to divert attention from UDA’s loss in the Machakos senatorial race.

A screenshot of a WhatsApp group allegedly made up of DP Ruto’s communications think tank comprising David Mugonyi, Farouk Kibet, Dennis Itumbi, among others, suggested there was need to divert attention from the mini-poll defeat of UDA candidate, Urbanus Ngengele, by Wiper’s Agnes Kavindu.

The name of the group, as per the screenshot, is “DP’s War Council”.

The conversations, which as per the screenshot, began at 3:38am Friday, focussed on the Machakos senatorial race results, in which Kavindu won by 104,352 votes against Ngengele’s just over 19,000 votes.

“We need someone to act now, otherwise we will trend the whole day,” the conversations began by this message allegedly typed by DP Ruto’s personal assistant Farouk Kibet.

DP’s spokesperson David Mugonyi, as per the screenshot, responds a minute later, saying: “I concur. Someone think of something fast. We can’t have UDA defeat by Kavindu trending.”

Digital strategist Itumbi, thereafter, replies: “Guys, I have an idea, especially now that Magufuli is dead. We could perhaps trend old images of Lee Funeral Home. That way, Twitter will focus on that.”

Farouk Kibet then says: “Okay. ASAP, even if it means paying bloggers. The boss keeps calling about the issue. Time is of the essence.”

Reached for comment, Itumbi termed the screenshot and reports as “nonsense on high heels”.

“We are brighter than that,” Itumbi said, adding: “[Alleging that we trended Lee Funeral Home to divert attention from Kavindu’s win], is nonsense on high heels,” said Itumbi.

David Mugonyi did not respond to our calls for comment.

K24 Digital can, however, authoritatively report that the screenshot is fake, because WhatsApp orders Group members in an alphabetical sequence. In the screenshot, the name Dennis Itumbi precedes that of David Mugonyi. Alphabetically, WhatsApp would order David Mugonyi ahead of Dennis Itumbi.

Lee Funeral Home trended on Twitter on Friday morning after rumours mounted that a prominent person had died, and his body transferred to the elite morgue.

However, a spot-check at the funeral home on Friday morning through afternoon indicated no VIP activities at the mortuary, defusing fears of yet another prominent death in Kenya.