Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has strongly criticised the appointment of Hanna Cheptumo as Kenya’s new Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Gender, questioning her suitability for the sensitive docket. Cheptumo was sworn in on April 17, following her clearance by Parliament despite widespread backlash over controversial remarks she made during her vetting process.
Cheptumo, a lawyer and widow of the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo, was nominated by President William Ruto to fill a post that has remained vacant since August 2024. Her confirmation followed the rejection of former nominee Stella Soi Lang’at and came months after a Cabinet reshuffle that removed Aisha Jumwa from the position.
During her April 14 vetting, Cheptumo sparked outrage by attributing Kenya’s rising femicide cases to women’s pursuit of financial gain. In response to a question about university-educated victims, she stated, “They are educated, but those are looking for money.” Her comments were condemned by gender rights activists and over a dozen women’s organisations, which called for her immediate disqualification.
Although Cheptumo later issued a public apology, stating that “no woman or human being deserves to be killed under any circumstances,” the backlash persisted.
Speaking on Spice FM on Tuesday, Senator Orwoba a vocal gender rights advocate argued that Cheptumo’s remarks demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of gender-based violence, rendering her unfit to lead the ministry. “She is a brilliant lawyer and good in her industry, but no!” said Orwoba. “In a sensitive docket like Gender, people don’t understand it needs an expert.”
The senator sarcastically suggested that even Health CS Aden Duale could have been appointed, since subject matter expertise appeared not to matter in the selection. “If it is just a matter of ‘A lawyer can go and we will hold their hand,’ Duale can also go,” she said.
Orwoba’s remarks highlight growing concern over the government’s approach to addressing gender-based violence, with critics calling for more deliberate, informed leadership in a ministry charged with protecting vulnerable populations.
