Kenya Foreign Affairs PS shares deepfake video of Fareed Zakaria endorsing Sudan diplomacy
Kenya's Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei posted an AI-generated deepfake video depicting CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria endorsing Kenya's Sudan peace diplomacy. After facing backlash on social media, Sing'Oei apologized on Friday, acknowledging he had inadvertently shared inauthentic content.
What happened
Kenya's Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei posted an AI-generated deepfake video on his official X account on Thursday showing CNN political commentator Fareed Zakaria purporting to support Kenya's involvement in Sudan peace efforts. In the caption, Sing'Oei wrote: 'For the fake analysts who doubt the good faith of Kenya's peace diplomacy, here is a cogent assessment by CNN's Foreign Policy expert, Fareed Zakaria.'
The video was designed to appear as a CNN broadcast but neither CNN nor Zakaria had covered Kenya's Sudan issue. Forensic analysis revealed it was inauthentic due to poor quality, mismatched mouth movements, amateurish graphics, and the absence of the video on CNN or Zakaria's platforms.
Reported impact
The video accumulated over 60,000 views before Sing'Oei deleted it. Kenyans criticized him on social media for using deepfake media to mislead the public and promote a government narrative, with some expressing concerns about damage to Kenya's international credibility and diplomatic standing.
Index analysis
The incident demonstrates how difficult it can be for government officials to spot false information. The PS later acknowledged he inadvertently posted AI-generated content disguised as genuine commentary.
Governance controls
In a statement on Friday, Sing'Oei apologized for posting the deepfake video and said he regretted the confusion it caused. He stated the ministry was working with partners and tech companies to explore marking AI-generated content and announced plans to develop a School on AI Diplomacy at the Foreign Services Academy.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.