Late Senator Cheptumo's widow Wendot and MP Ruku nominated to cabinet

President William Ruto has nominated Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, widow of the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo as Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage, and Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku for the Public Service, Human Capital Development, and Special Programs Ministry.

The appointments were announced on Wednesday by Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, as part of a broader Cabinet reorganization.

This move to nominate Wendot, demonstrates Ruto's commitment to keeping his promise to the late senator.

Wendot is a distinguished Kenyan lawyer, widely respected for her legal acumen, resilience, and unwavering dedication to both family and community service.

The Ministry of Gender has been without a substantive CS since August 2024, following the National Assembly Committee on Appointments’ rejection of Stella Soi Lang’at’s nomination over concerns about her suitability.

If approved by Parliament, Wendot will fill this critical vacancy and join the nation’s apex policy organ as Cabinet Secretary.

Meanwhile, Ruku’s nomination comes on the heels of the dismissal of Justin Muturi from the Public Service portfolio.

Under Section 13, Article VI of the Constitution, MPs cannot hold other government offices unless they resign from Parliament; thus, if Ruku accepts the role, he will be required to vacate his Mbeere North seat.

Ruku's Background

Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku, 45, was elected as Mbeere North MP in 2022 on a Democratic Party (DP) ticket, unseating incumbent Muriuki Njagagua.

Prior to his 2022 victory, Ruku had contested for the Mbeere North seat in 2013 and for the Embu Senate seat in 2017 without success.

Beyond his political career, Ruku is a dedicated conservationist and the founding director of Climate Pal Ltd, a company devoted to implementing carbon emissions reduction projects in Kenya.

His academic background includes a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (2002), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Diplomacy and International Relations from the University of Nairobi (2005), and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the same institution (2009).