Jerusha Muthoni: 'I'm not a government project'

President William Ruto’s development tours have drawn criticism and speculation over the years.

One woman with repeated appearances at official functions has been the subject of viral online discussions. 

Jerusha Muthoni, a familiar face at several of the president’s project launches, has been accused by netizens of being a planted beneficiary used to promote Kenya Kwanza initiatives.

The claims resurfaced after the recent launch of the affordable housing project in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Nairobi, where Muthoni was introduced as the first beneficiary.

Social media users quickly pointed out her striking resemblance to other women seen alongside Ruto at similar events across different counties.

Some alleged she was the same person photographed with Ruto in Kisii during a rural electrification tour, and again in Homa Bay serving him fish at the launch of a modern fish market.

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But Muthoni has dismissed the allegations as ‘politically motivated attacks’ aimed at undermining the housing program.

"Even those people who say the president moves around with me in Kisii, in Kisumu when I’m cooking fish…it’s all complete lies. It’s just people trying to oppose this project,” she claimed.

Despite the backlash, Muthoni lauded housing project, saying it had transformed her life, and that she is now far more comfortable than she ever was in the slums.

The online storm began after Ruto’s August 2024 visit to Kisii, where he launched a rural electrification project. Photos from the event showed the president at a posho mill with a woman many believed to be Muthoni. The resemblance triggered widespread speculation on social media.

 “This woman has been faking Ruto’s projects,” one user posted. “Three months ago, she had a house in Kisii when Ruto launched rural electrification. Yesterday, she was in the Mukuru slums. Who is she?”

Another user added: “When Chipukizi told Mukuru youth that Ruto always travels with certain people who benefit from his ventures, I thought it was a lie. But seeing the same woman who received a house now owning a hotel in Kisumu, I no longer doubt it.”

In a light-hearted moment, Muthoni joked with the president: “Your excellency, I want you to buy me a car so that I can park there.”

Still, questions about her recurring appearance at national functions continue, even as she insists she is simply a grateful citizen, not a political prop.