FALSE: It wasn't Martha Karua's portrait unveiled at Obama Foundation event

A viral video claiming that Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential running mate Martha Karua’s portrait was unveiled at a US high-profile women’s event is false.

The video, first shared by Prof Peter Kagwanja, the Chief Executive of the Africa Policy Institute and a former government adviser, claimed the portrait was unveiled to symbolise that the Raila-Karua presidential ticket in the forthcoming August 9 General Election had gained acclaim across the world.

“The Raila-Karua ticket is gaining acclaim across the World. In the US, African-American luminaries unveiled Martha Karua’s portrait at a Women’s Conference,” read his caption on the video.

The Raila-Karua ticket is gaining acclaim across the World. In the US, African-American luminaries unveiled Martha Karua’s Portrait at a Women’s conference??? pic.twitter.com/355oeS95JU

But The Standard’s Checkpoint desk has established that this is not accurate.

It was actually the former US First lady Michell Obama’s portrait that was unveiled during the event at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

According to a post on Obama Foundation, the event happened on February 13, 2018.

Under the hashtag #ObamaPortraits, Michell wrote, “I’m thinking about all of the young people, particularly girls, and girls of color, who in years ahead will come to this place, and they will look up, and they will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the wall of this great American institution. I know about the impact it’ll have on their lives, because I was one of those girls.”

She unveiled the portrait with the artist Amy Sherald.

Verdict: The Standard Checkpoint therefore rates this claim by Prof Kagwanja as FALSE.