IN SHORT: A viral TikTok video claims that president William Ruto has fired health cabinet secretary Aden Duale and replaced him with Winnie Odinga, the daughter of the late opposition politician Raila Odinga. While there is speculation about an impending cabinet shake-up, the health minister is still in office.
Kenyan president William Ruto has sacked health cabinet secretary Aden Duale and replaced him with Winnie Odinga, the daughter of the late opposition politician Raila Odinga. That’s according to a video going viral on TikTok since October 2025.
Winnie is a Kenyan politician who serves as a member of the East African Community’s legislative assembly.
Text at the top of the video reads: “Breaking news;Ruto sucks Aden Duale as CS Health and Nominates WinnieOdinga yo take his position.”
The video includes several images and graphics. One image shows Duale and quotes him as saying that he cannot be intimidated by members of parliament. Another shows Anthony Kibagendi, member of parliament for Kitutu Chache South, referring to Duale as a thief. A third graphic quotes Nyandarua county senator John Methu, who is allied with the opposition, telling Duale to get ready to be dismissed alongside Ruto.
Other images show Odinga’s daughters, Rosemary and Winnie Odinga. One shows Winnie carrying Odinga’s famous white fedora.
The video has been viewed over 628,000 times, with more than 8,600 likes and over 770 comments. But is there any truth to its claim?
Context and background
Duale has faced impeachment threats in recent months over serious corruption allegations within the Social Health Authority, the state entity responsible for providing and managing public health insurance in Kenya.
On 14 October, Duale had a heated exchange with MPs, notably trading accusations with Kibagendi, during a parliamentary health committee session.
A day later, it was reported that former prime minister Raila Odinga had died in India after suffering a cardiac arrest. Odinga was accorded a state funeral, and the event was widely covered. One of the memorable moments showed Winnie holding her father’s famous white fedora.
During her speech at her father’s burial, Winnie told president Ruto that she was ready to come home and serve her people.
Days earlier, Ruto and Gideon Moi, leader of the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) party, were reported to have reached an agreement for Kanu to join the government. This event, Raila’s death, and Winnie’s remarks at the funeral added to speculation that a cabinet reshuffle could be imminent.
The TikTok video builds on that speculation, suggesting the reshuffle has begun and claiming that Duale has been replaced with Winnie.
No official announcement or evidence
There is no evidence that Ruto has fired Duale or appointed Winnie as the health cabinet secretary. Such a move would be officially announced by the government and be widely reported by major Kenyan news outlets.
Duale remains one of Ruto’s close allies and was one of the ministers reappointed to the cabinet after the 2024 reshuffle. At the time of publication, official sources indicated that Duale was performing his duties as the health cabinet secretary.
The TikTok video provides no evidence to support its claim. Instead, it combines unrelated graphics and images with misleading captions.
The claim that Ruto has sacked Aden Duale and nominated Winnie Odinga as the health cabinet secretary is false.
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