Businesswoman and Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja has broken her silence following viral claims that she had been hospitalised in London.

The rumours began circulating on social media on the evening of Thursday, May 1, and by Friday morning, X (formerly Twitter) was abuzz with unverified reports. Some users alleged that the Keroche Breweries founder was battling cancer, while others claimed she was suffering from kidney failure.

However, in a statement posted on her official Facebook page accompanied by a video, Senator Karanja firmly dismissed the rumours, clarifying that she is in London for a short personal vacation during the Senate recess.

“It was a surprise for me to see people sending me those messages,” she wrote. “As you are aware, the Senate is currently on a short recess, which began on April 18 and will end on May 5, 2025. I have taken this opportunity to step away from my busy schedule for a brief vacation here in London. It is the first time I have taken this vacation outside the country since I took office.”

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She added that she is in perfect health and ready to resume her oversight duties.

“I am in excellent health, full of energy, and fully prepared to resume my duties next week. I thank God I am not sick, I am not in hospital, and I have not been hospitalised.”

Senator Karanja accused unnamed bloggers and social media influencers—some of whom she alleged are financed by officials within the Nakuru County Government—of spreading fake news.

“These are fake news being spread by paid bloggers and influencers, unfortunately, financed by county officials using public resources. These funds should be directed towards meaningful development for our people,” she said.

She urged those responsible to stop causing unnecessary panic among Nakuru residents.

“I strongly urge these individuals to stop spreading misinformation. Such baseless and unfounded rumours have caused unnecessary concern and panic among the people of Nakuru County.”

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Alongside the claims, an old video of Karanja speaking in Parliament also resurfaced online. In the clip, she criticised Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika for reportedly travelling to the U.S. to give birth, calling for laws to restrict top public officials—including the president and senators—from seeking medical services abroad.

“We should come up with legislation blocking public officers of the calibre of the president, governor, and even senator from flying outside to seek medical attention. We need to ensure our hospitals are well equipped,” she said at the time.

Karanja has faced criticism for being among the leaders who supported the 2024 Finance Bill, which was later withdrawn following nationwide protests in June 2024.

Defending her position, she explained:

“The bill had clauses that supported local manufacturing. As someone who has built a manufacturing brand, I understood it very well. For the first time since independence, it offered real incentives to local manufacturers while taking a tougher stance on imports. That was a major win.”

However, she acknowledged that the bill was not perfect and needed refinement.

“This year, Kenyans should be given ample time to read and understand the Finance Bill. It’s important to adopt a system that doesn’t impose extra taxes on basic commodities—this only provokes public anger and leads to the rejection of even beneficial proposals. I do not regret my stance on the flopped 2024 finance bill.”

Early this week, President William Ruto announced that the Cabinet had approved the Finance Bill 2025, which will now be moving to parliament. The bill spared Kenyans additional taxes and focused on reducing wastage.