Ichung'wah Intervenes For Gender CS Nominee Hannah Cheptumo After Uproar On Femicide Remarks
Ichung’wah said he had personally spoken with Cheptumo and that she had expressed regret for her remarks.
Marvin Chege 
Kikuyu MP and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah issued an apology on Wednesday, April 16, on behalf of Gender Cabinet Secretary (CS) nominee Hanna Cheptumo for her controversial comments about femicide.
While presenting a motion to the National Assembly for the approval of Cheptumo and Public Service nominee Geoffrey Ruku, Ichung’wah said he had personally spoken with Cheptumo and that she had expressed regret for her remarks.
He acknowledged the backlash over Cheptumo’s comments, noting she was in a high-pressure, unfamiliar setting and under intense national scrutiny at the time.
Kimani Ichung'wah apologises on behalf of Gender Cabinet Secretary nominee, Hannah Cheptumo, over her controversial remarks on femicide#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/mQqxvVLeGp — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) April 16, 2025
“Ever since the incident happened, I have indeed spoken to her (Cheptumo) and she has offered her unreserved apologies to the country, to the (National Assembly Appointments) Committee, to this house for that inadvertent statement and I think it is only right that we support this lady,” Ichung’wah stated.
“Without being an apologist for her, it is only right we understand the context in which things are said. Someone who has not been in the space that she was in that day is likely to make such small mistakes. When you have not less than 20 cameras on your face, people panic and may answer questions in a way that they never intended to."
Cheptumo was among two CS nominees approved for appointment by President William Ruto. She, alongside Public Service CS nominee Geoffrey Ruku, are expected to take an oath of office alongside the approved Principal Secretaries anytime from now, after which they will officially assume their respective roles.
The approval of Wendot is likely to spark debate, given that it came hours after Amnesty International Kenya slammed her over her remarks that appeared to hold victims of femicide responsible for their actions leading to the vice.
During her vetting before the Committee on Appointments on Monday, April 14, Cheptumo claimed that femicide was a result of women pursuing relationships driven by a desire for money, adding that if their incomes were better off, they would be independent.
She would go on to say that even those educated women are attacked or killed in their pursuit of money, adding that one of her main action points, should the Committee approve her for appointment by President Ruto, would be to improve the financial freedom of women in the country.
"Femicide is the intentional killing of women and girls, and it is brought about by dependency. If girls were able to have economic power, they would not depend on either gender," Cheptumo, a widow of the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo, stated, adding, "If a woman is educated, chances are that she will avoid some of these challenges in society."
However, this remark sparked pushback from some panellists, including committee chair Moses Wetangula, who pointed out that many of the girls killed in Airbnbs were university students—and therefore, clearly not uneducated. He responded, “The girls who have been killed in recent days are educated", to which Cheptumo countered, "They are educated, but those are looking for money. You know a girl has many needs."
Ichung’wah made his statement after Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Gladys Boss Shollei, called for an apology from Cheptumo regarding her controversial comment. Shollei raised a point of order during the session while Ichung’wah was presenting the motion, insisting that Cheptumo apologize—even though she supported her nomination.
“As much as I agree with the leader of the majority on the professionalism of Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, I still think that the statement she made was unfortunate, was completely politically incorrect, and she must apologise,” she remarked.
Gender Cabinet Secretary nominee Hannah Wendot Cheptumo during her vetting on Monday, April 14, 2025. /PARLIAMENT KENYA
