President William Ruto has come under criticism for failing to appoint a full Cabinet Secretary to lead the Ministry of Gender and Culture for eight months.
Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo raised the issue in Parliament on Friday, April 16, saying the long delay showed a lack of seriousness from the President when it comes to gender issues.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Odhiambo reminded lawmakers that the Gender Ministry had been without a proper Cabinet Secretary since July 2024, when President Ruto dissolved his Cabinet following the Gen Z protests that swept the country in June and July.
Since then, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi had been overseeing the Gender Ministry, even though he was already serving as the Foreign Affairs CS and managing other major responsibilities.
Odhiambo criticised the repeated failure to appoint a suitable CS, pointing out that Parliament had rejected several nominees brought forward by the President.
“It is unfortunate that this is the Ministry where we have rejected nominees three times in such a short period. And since July, it has remained without a substantive Cabinet Secretary,” she stated.
She went further to call on President Ruto to treat the Ministry with the respect it deserves. “The issue lies with the appointing authority.
We need to take this Ministry seriously and not just use it as a way to reward individuals or fill political slots,” Odhiambo added.
Back in August 2024, President Ruto nominated Stella Lang’at for the position, but Parliament’s Committee on Appointments turned down her nomination.
The committee found that Lang’at lacked a proper understanding of key issues affecting the Gender Ministry.
They also noted her history of frequent job changes, which they said showed a lack of long-term planning or vision — qualities needed to lead such a critical ministry.
Since then, the Ministry of Gender has remained without a full-time Cabinet Secretary. The extended leadership vacuum has sparked concern from women’s rights groups, civil society organisations, and members of Parliament, who feel the government is not giving enough attention to gender matters.
Millie Odhiambo’s comments came just as the National Assembly approved the nomination of Hanna Cheptumo as the new Gender Cabinet Secretary, finally ending the eight-month vacancy.
Despite her approval, Odhiambo remained skeptical, expressing some doubts about Cheptumo’s appointment. However, she also expressed her willingness to support her in the role.
“I’m not saying this woman is incompetent — she is clearly a competent lawyer — but when we are assigning someone additional responsibilities, especially in such a sensitive docket, we need to be more thoughtful and deliberate,” Odhiambo said.
Hanna Cheptumo’s nomination had drawn public attention during her vetting by Parliament. She made a controversial remark about the ongoing cases of femicide in Kenya, saying that most victims were uneducated women, while educated women were being killed while trying to earn a living.
Her comments led to strong criticism from the public and advocacy groups.
Following the backlash, Majority Leader and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah stepped in to defend her, apologising on her behalf. He claimed that Cheptumo had spoken in a moment of panic during the vetting process.
Cheptumo, who is a lawyer by profession, is also the widow of the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo, who passed away in February.
Her appointment marks a fresh start for the Gender Ministry, but questions still remain about how seriously the Ruto administration is treating gender issues in Kenya.
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