No, the image purportedly showing controversial pastor Mackenzie attending a church service with First Lady Rachel Ruto has been doctored. - iVerify Kenya

No, the image purportedly showing controversial pastor Mackenzie attending a church service with First Lady Rachel Ruto has been doctored.

False

The image has been altered to make it appear that televangelist Paul Mackenzie attended a church service with First Lady Rachel Ruto.

The original photo has been altered, with Mackenzie’s face placed onto the body of a congregant at Word of Faith Church in January 2023, where Rachel joined inhabitants of Olalui in Kilgoris, Narok County.

Mackenzie came to light after being accused of influencing the residents of Shakahola village in Kilifi County, some 70 kilometers from the tourist hub of Malindi, through skewed extreme religious doctrines and fear of the unknown in quest of redemption, resulting in the deaths of many.

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Verified Apr, 26 2023

Claim

Controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie seen attending a church service with First Lady Rachel Ruto.

Rating Justification

The iVerify Network of Fact-Checking Desks has fact-checked this content and established that it is False.

To arrive to this conclusion, the iVerify Network of Fact-Checking Desks has conducted the following process. A reverse image search revealed that the image had been altered to include the face of controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie. First Lady Rachel Ruto shared the original photo on January 22, 2023, when she joined people at a church service at Word of Faith Church Olalui in Kilgoris, Narok County.

A closer look at the image reveals that the guy standing next to Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu did not have a beard and was of darker complexion, unlike the edited one.

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