IN SHORT: Despite Kanze Dena's denial, claims that she has throat cancer continue to circulate on social media in Kenya. Such false claims can cause personal distress and damage professional reputations and personal relationships.
In April 2024, several social media posts claimed that Kanze Dena, the former spokesperson for Kenya's State House, was suffering from stage 4 throat cancer.
Throat cancer is cancer that develops in the throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx).
One such post reads: “I am going to die.” It attributed the quote to Dena before wishing her a speedy recovery.
Some of the posts making the same claim were later deleted, but many are still accessible, such as here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
The posts have been viewed over a million times and have received a lot of engagement.
A prominent broadcast journalist, Dena worked with some of Kenya’s leading media outlets before becoming spokesperson for former president Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018. Kenyatta was president from 2013 to 2022.
But is there any truth to the claims that Dena has stage 4 throat cancer? We checked.
Dena dismisses claims
On 9 April 2024, Dena responded to one of the most viewed posts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, claiming that she had throat cancer. She said: “FAKE NEWS is the enemy of the people.”
On 8 April, two posts on her Instagram account confirmed that she was well. The posts had the hashtag #fakenewsistheenemyofthepeople.
Dena’s denial of these cancer allegations has also been reported by various media outlets.
Despite this, the false claims remain and continue to be circulated. This can cause personal distress to the individual and damage their professional reputation and personal relationships. The person may have to spend time and resources publicly correcting the misinformation.
This false claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
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