Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris says an image circulating on social media showing her in a close pose with Mumias East MP Peter Salasya has been digitally altered using artificial intelligence.
The image, she said, is not real.
Passaris raised the issue on Tuesday, choosing her moment carefully. It was Data Protection Day, a global observance meant to draw attention to privacy and digital safety in an era where technology often moves faster than the law.
“This image shows how easily reality can be manipulated,” Passaris wrote on her social media platforms “One version is AI-generated. One is real. In today’s digital age, it’s becoming harder to tell the difference.”
The photograph in question appears convincing at first glance. In the altered version, the two lawmakers are shown standing unusually close, hands placed in ways that suggest intimacy. Online, users quickly began sharing side-by-side comparisons of the original image and the edited one, pointing out subtle but telling distortions.
Passaris said the incident was a reminder of how easily personal images can be changed and redistributed without consent.
“Privacy, ethical data use and responsible sharing matter more than ever,” she wrote. “Always verify — because in 2026, seeing is no longer believing.”
Across Kenyan social media, the episode sparked debate about the growing reach of generative AI tools, which can now create images that are difficult to distinguish from authentic photographs. While such technology has found use in design, education and entertainment, critics warn it is increasingly being used to mislead, embarrass or harm individuals.
Digital rights advocates say public figures are often early targets, but ordinary citizens face the same risks.
Kenya already has legal frameworks meant to address such harm. The Data Protection Act and cybercrime laws criminalise the unauthorised use of personal data and images, including material shared in ways that damage reputation or invade privacy. Still, enforcement remains uneven, and experts acknowledge that regulation often struggles to keep pace with rapidly changing technology.
For Passaris, the concern goes beyond one image.
“Data protection and digital ethics are not just tech issues,” she said. “They protect real people from real harm.”
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