The National Assembly has moved with speed to shut down a fake document that has been making rounds on social media, claiming that Parliament had asked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to vet several individuals for Cabinet positions.
In a statement issued on Thursday, July 23, Parliament made it crystal clear that the letter did not come from their office and urged Kenyans to completely ignore its contents.
The fake document, which surprisingly looked convincing with the National Assembly letterhead and what appeared to be the Clerk's signature, claimed that five individuals had been nominated for various Cabinet dockets.
Among those named were Winnie Odinga, daughter of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was allegedly going to take over the Tourism and Wildlife ministry. Suna East MP Junet Mohamed was also listed, with the letter claiming he had been picked for the Lands docket.
The fake letter went further to name Koki Muli for the Water, Sanitation and Irrigation ministry, while DCP leader Cleophas Malala was supposedly headed to the Agriculture and Livestock Development docket.
ODM party member Agnes Zani, who also chaired the Ruto-Raila 10-point agenda committee, was also mentioned as the nominee for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy.
What has caught the attention of many Kenyans is that most of the names in that fake list are senior figures from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
This has sparked serious talk online about possible political realignments within the government, with many wondering if President William Ruto is planning to bring more ODM members into his Cabinet.
The circulation of this fake letter comes at a time when there is already plenty of speculation about a possible Cabinet reshuffle. With the 2027 General Election drawing closer, many believe President Ruto could be planning changes to his team.
The fake document only added fuel to the fire, with social media users claiming that some Cabinet Secretaries from the Mt Kenya region were about to be shown the door.
Some online commentators even linked the purported changes to the ruling party's recent loss in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, where DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru defeated the UDA candidate.
That outcome was seen as a major setback for the ruling party in a region that played a key role in President Ruto's 2022 election victory.
Parliament has however made it clear that the document is nothing but a fabrication. In their clarification, they emphasized that no such letter was ever issued and that members of the public should treat it with the contempt it deserves.
This is not the first time such fake documents have been circulated, and authorities continue to warn Kenyans to be careful about what they consume on social media.
As the 2027 elections approach, such misinformation is expected to increase, and citizens are being urged to always verify information from official sources before sharing.
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