Germany's latest border control measures have sparked a wave of misinformation in Kenya, just days after President William Ruto signed a labour and migration agreement with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Posts circulating online claim that all Africans – even those holding valid visas – will now be banned from entering Germany following Ruto’s visit. However, these claims are false. Official documents published by Germany show restrictions apply only to people who try to enter the country without the correct paperwork.

On September 15, 2024, a post on X claimed: "After Ruto visited Germany it has been announced that Africans will not be allowed to enter Germany even with Visa."

Shared more than 2,800 times, the post originated from a Kenyan account called “KESH” with more than 130,000 followers.

The same claim was repeated by other Kenyan social media users on X (here and here) and on Facebook.

Kenya-German deal

Ruto attended the annual Citizens' Festival in Germany from September 13th to 14th.

While there, the country’s two leaders signed an agreement allowing skilled workers from Kenya to live and work in the EU's largest economy (archived here).

Misleading claims about the deal spread online, further cemented by Ruto’s remarks during an interview with a German broadcaster where he said the deal will "unlock 250,000 job opportunities for young Kenyans" (archived here).

However, German’s interior ministry later refuted this claim, stating that "the agreement does not...

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