Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa Mlongo has placed her net worth at Ksh455 million.
Appearing before the Committee on Appointment on Thursday, August 1, 2024, Mlongo told the MPs that the wealth is a combination of what she has acquired together with her husband.
“My net worth is a combination of mine with my husband and it is Ksh455,845,320,) Mlongo stated while responding to Speaker Moses Masika Wetang’ula question.
However, she did not explain how the wealth was accumulated and its breakdown.
Questions raised
MPs sitting in the Committee of Appointments were divided by whether to accept the combined wealth report or divide it to find Mlongo’s exact net worth.
” Because this is a house of records, I propose we divide it into two,” Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi stated.
“There is no need to do that,” Mishi Mboko responded in a quick rebuttal.
Wetang’ula in his directive noted that there is no need to divide the net worth unless ordered by the court.
“Don’t break families, if there is a dispute the courts will decide,” Wetang’ula directed.
Promises reforms
During the vetting exercise, Mlongo vowed to instigate several reforms in the Ministry of Health if approved by the Committee on Appointments.
She pledged to adopt a situational analysis framework to address some of the key issues reported in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“We need to conduct a situational analysis to understand the challenges and from there come up with interventions. I have seen the strength of having processes and procedures,” Mlongo stated.
Besides using the situational analysis model, Deborah Mlongo highlighted the need to morph and adopt a more digital approach in dealing with NHIF.
By embracing digital platforms, Mlongo argued that the human-to-human interaction will be reduced thus lowering instances of graft in NHIF.
“We should have a digital platform that reduces human-to-human interactions,” Mlongo stated.