The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs has dismissed a report that Charlene Ruto, the daughter of President William Ruto, has been appointed head of the State Department for Mining, which provides leadership in the management of the country’s extractive sector.
The report, which the Ministry has denounced as fake, went viral for the better part of Friday. Many citizens shared it widely on social media because it appeared authentic, even bearing the same unique identifier as the original notice previously published in the Kenya Gazette, the official government publication.
To clarify, the Ministry reiterated that the original notice, published by the government, actually shows that Joseph Kipchumba Lagat was appointed Chairperson of the National Mining Corporation, not Charlene Ruto.
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“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 25 (1)(a) of the Mining Act, 2016, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint JOSEPH KIPCHUMBA LAGAT to be the Chairperson of the National Mining Corporation for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 4th October 2024,” the official notice reads.
Despite this clarification, President Ruto became the subject of online scrutiny throughout the day due to the false information, which, according to the Ministry, poses the risk of stoking ethnic and racial tensions and potentially undermining national security.
In response, Charlene Ruto urged the public to verify information before sharing it in order to curb the spread of dangerous disinformation.
“President William Ruto believes in providing equal, fair, and transparent leadership opportunities to as many Kenyans as possible. Trust me, he would not do this,” she said, responding to the fake news. “In the Ministry of Mining? Not even youth? Or agriculture? Just so you know, it’s really fake!”
She further clarified that she is not working in any government ministry or department, as she is fully engaged in activities with the Young People’s Network International and the SMACHS Foundation, organisations she founded.
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