Fake Video Of Raila Odinga Endorsing Crypto Exposed As A Hack

A deepfake video of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga endorsing a cryptocurrency has been revealed as a product of a hacked social media account. The fraudulent video was posted on Odinga’s X account, which has over 2 million followers, on Thursday, September 18. It was shared widely before being taken down later that same day.

The video, created to appear as though Odinga was recommending a digital currency, was reportedly uploaded by hackers to scam unsuspecting Kenyans.

The Deception

The video showed Odinga claiming the digital currency would “improve and support the country’s economic growth.” A clip from the fabricated endorsement said, “Kenya is stepping up to lead Africa into the crypto revolution, embracing digital finance and shaping a more crypto-friendly future.”

While the video initially appeared genuine due to its source from Odinga’s verified account, some observant Kenyans quickly noticed the trickery. They noted that the deepfake was inconsistent with official statements from authentic government sources.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that a significant portion of the token’s supply, approximately 20 percent, was bought up shortly after the video was posted, highlighting the immediate impact of the scam. The incident underscores the growing risk of crypto scams on social media platforms, particularly on X.

This is not the first time a prominent Kenyan figure has been used to promote the same digital currency. The incident follows a similar one-and-a-half months prior, when Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo appeared to endorse the same crypto in a social media post. That post, which also came from an X handle associated with him, claimed the crypto “reflects the growing confidence in tokenisation as a tool for value exchange, inclusion, and innovation.”