Health CS nominee Debra Barasa has explained why she did not renew her practising license for the last four years.
Speaking during her vetting by the National Assembly Committee on Appointments, Barasa said she transitioned to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, a move she says did not require her to activate the practising license.
She said the WHO being under the UN is an international independent organisation with no affiliation to any member state and she therefore did not need a practising license.
"I am a qualified doctor. My registration A6275. I have been in clinical practice from 2007 to 2020 compliant to license renewal. In 2020 I joined WHO which is part of the UN. It is an International Independent entity with no affiliation to any member state," Barasa said.
"I was an international civil servant 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."
She went on to say that she only renewed her license because President William Ruto's appointment meant she was coming back to work in the country.
She added that it was also out of respect and the fact that she would work around the medical environment.
"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."
Questions were raised over the status of her practising license soon after she was nominated to the Cabinet.