FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Falsely Claims British Politician Kemi Badenoch Was Born In Nigeria

A post shared on Facebook claims British politician and Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch was born in Nigeria.

Verdict: False

The claim is false. According to a February 2024 article from BBC, Badenoch was born in Wimbledon, South London to parents of Nigerian origin.

Fact Check:

Badenoch has been criticized by the anti-domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid after she allegedly made a rape joke on her personal Facebook page, according to The Independent. The post, which is from January 2008, features an image showing “a man lying on the floor, while another man sits on top of him holding a bottle and a third man covers his mouth and nose,” the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims Badenoch was born in Nigeria.

“44 year old Kemi Badenoch is the new leader of the Conservative Party, defeating Robert Jenrick in the final round of voting. Badenoch, who was raised in Nigeria, is the first black woman to lead a major political party in the UK. She takes over from Rishi Sunak, who led the Conservatives to their worst ever election defeat in July,” the post reads in part.

The claim is false. According to a February 2024 article from BBC, Badenoch was born in Wimbledon, South London to parents of Nigerian origin. Badenoch grew up in both the U.S. and Nigeria before returning to the U.K. at age 16, the outlet reported.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on Badenoch’s website or her verified social media accounts.

In addition, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Nov. 6, U.K.-based outlet Full Fact debunked the claim. (RELATED: BBC Did Not Report India Gave Territory To China)

Badenoch recently defeated Robert Jenrick to become the Leader of the Conservative Party in the U.K., according to The Associated Press. Badenoch is also “the first black woman to lead a major British political party,” the outlet indicated.

Badenoch has served as a member of Parliament since 2017 and was previously Secretary of State for Business and Trade, President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities, according to her website.

Check Your Fact has contacted Badenoch for comment.