Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has been forced to delete and apologize after posting a fake AI-generated deepfake video of CNN foreign policy expert Fareed Zakaria falsely praising Kenya’s peace efforts in Sudan.
In his original post made on Thursday, February 20, the PS told off critics, claiming the video offered a clear assessment of Kenya’s peace diplomacy in Sudan.
However, social media users flagged the video as inauthentic, forcing Sing'oei to delete it amid mounting public backlash.
The post caught Kenyans' attention, including CNN International Correspondent Larry Madowo, who clarified that the video was not from CNN or Zakaria.
"Kenya’s most senior bureaucrat in the Foreign ministry shared an AI deepfake video to criticize “fake analysts” who called out Nairobi for allowing Sudan’s RSF to announce a parallel govt. This is not from CNN or Fareed Zakaria. Sing'Oei deleted it without apologizing," he wrote on X.
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The foreign affairs PS later deleted the video after backlash from the public and apologized.
"I sincerely apologize for inadvertently posting an AI-generated video disguised as a genuine commentary from Fareed Zakaria of CNN on the search for peace in the Sudan conflict and Kenya’s role in it," Sing’oei stated.
He added," I regret any confusion this may have caused and thank everyone who flagged the video as a deepfake. Our Ministry has been working with partners and tech companies to explore the potential of watermarking AI-generated content to ensure that such material does not pose as human-generated material."
This comes at a time when Kenya's foreign policy has been under scrutiny, especially after Raila Odinga's African Union Chairmanship position loss.
For instance, Kenyans have been expressing concerns about the financial transparency of Raila's campaign for the AU chairmanship seat.
Despite the public interest, government officials have remained reticent about the exact budget allocated for this endeavor.
In an interview before the elections, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi dismissed claims of a Ksh10 billion allocation for the campaigns.
"All I can tell you is, as we put in efforts, as the president makes his trips. In my assignments and travels, I will campaign for him where he cannot. Even if we were to put some resources, as a government, take it from me, it can never be Ksh 10 billion," he said.
