Fact Check: New Health CS Nominee Dr. Barasa & KRA Boss Dr. Wattanga are Not

Earlier today, President William Ruto moved to reconstitute his cabinet, reorganizing his government following a wave of protests that necessitated restructuring. 

During a live address to the nation, President Ruto nominated 11 men and women to help steer the country forward. Six of the 11 nominees are prominent figures already well-known to the public. 

However, five of them are new faces whose profiles Kenyans are not immediately familiar with.

To head the critical Health CS docket, President Ruto picked Dr. Debra Mlongo Barasa, who will be entrusted with being the primary custodian of the Kenya Kwanza Health blueprint if the National Assembly approves her nomination. 

The level of interest in the new nominees generated instant debate about their profiles and backgrounds among members of the public.

While many Kenyans retrieved factual and accurate profiles of some nominees, misinformation began circulating about others. 

For instance, some social media users spread misinformation that Health CS nominee Dr. Debra Barasa is a cousin to the current Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General Dr. Humphrey Wattanga. 

The false social media post claimed that Dr. Wattanga is married to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula’s sister and that they are both from Kimilili in Bungoma County.

Kenyans.co.ke has investigated these claims and established them to be false. The new Health CS nominee and Dr. Wattanga are not related in any way. 

Therefore, we can authoritatively report that the posts circulating on social media are misleading and inaccurate.

As your trusted source of news and the leading digital news publisher in the country, we will keep an eye on developments and flag false information to keep you informed about what is happening.