Curse of Gender ministry? Cheptumo under fire over femicide remarks

Hannah Wendot Cheptumo Nominee for Cabinet Secretary, Gender, Culture, The Arts and Heritage during her vetting process before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments at County Hall, Nairobi on April 14, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

In a country grappling with a rising wave of femicide, one might expect empathy or, at the very least, accountability from its leaders.

Yet, on Monday, April 14, during her vetting, Gender Cabinet Secretary nominee Hannah Cheptumo dismissed the surge in femicide as a money issue, suggesting that female university students are killed because they "could be looking for money" and lack empowerment.