Health Cabinet Secretary nominee Deborah Mlongo has clarified the contentious issue of her practice license during vetting at the County Hall on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
Speaking when she appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment panel, Mlongo stated that she had been a medical doctor in Kenya before taking up international assignments.
“For my practising licence, I am a qualified doctor, my registration is A6275, and I have been in clinical practice from 2007 to 2020, compliant with license renewal. In 2020, joined the World Health Organisation which is an independent entity with no affiliation to any member states. I was an international civil servant,” Mlongo noted.
Mlongo’s practice
Mlongo defended herself, noting that her new job at the World Health Organisation did not require the renewal of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) license.
“I was offering services to 22 countries in East and Southern Africa and the 47 member states also supported in the Afro region so my work and my capacity was at an international level as a policy adviser giving strategic direction and technical advice to various countries in the afro-region,” Mulongo added.
The issue of Mulongo’s license emerged after she was nominated by President William Ruto following the sacking of former Cabinet Secretary for Health Susan Nakhumicha.
Deborah Barasa: For my practicing license, I am a qualified doctor and have been in clinical practice from 2007 to 2020. I then joined the World Health Organization where I was an international Civil Servant. My capacity was at an international level.#K24Siasa pic.twitter.com/e5ZvvBnlAp
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) August 1, 2024
Reports indicated that Mlongo had been involved in a late-night debt settlement of arrears accrued after she failed to renew her medical practitioner’s license.
She confirmed the reports, stating that for four years, she had failed to renew her medical license and had done so soon after Ruto nominated her.
“Once the President nominated me as Cabinet Secretary, because of the courtesy and respect and coming back into the Kenyan medical environment as well as Cabinet Secretary, I renewed my clinical practice,” Mlongo added.
During the Thursday grilling Mulongo also noted that she supported the formation of the Service Commission, an initiative fronted by the Kenyan doctors to address their long-standing issues.
“As part of the doctors’ fraternity, I support the National Service Commission,” Mlongo told the 20-member parliamentary Committee on Appointments.
She revealed that while at WHO, her job entailed giving strategic policy advice to various countries in the afro-region.