Wendot apologises for controversial remarks, calls for femicide to be criminalised

Hanna Wendot, the Cabinet Secretary nominee for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, has publicly apologised following intense criticism over comments she made during her vetting by MPs earlier this week.

During her appearance before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments on Monday, Wendot responded to a question on the rising cases of women murdered in Airbnbs.

Her remarks, which suggested that some victims were targeted while seeking financial gain, sparked widespread backlash from legislators and the public.

“They are educated, but those are looking for money. You know a girl has many needs,” she had said, prompting an immediate reaction from several MPs.

Likoni MP Mishi Mboko raised a point of order, saying, “It is not good to say that those girls are looking for money and that is why they are brutally murdered.”

Speaker Moses Wetang’ula also challenged the statement, pointing out that many of the victims were university students.

In response to the growing criticism, Wendot on Wednesday issued a statement clarifying her position and taking responsibility.

“I sincerely apologise for this statement. I do not hold the belief that any woman (or other human being) deserves to be killed under any circumstances,” she said a few hours after the National Assembly approved her nomination.

Wendot explained that while she had aimed to highlight the economic struggles many women face, she had wrongly connected it to gender-based violence.

“While I intended to bring out some of the economic challenges that many women face, I improperly related two separate issues,” she admitted.

The nominee went on to call for femicide to be specifically addressed in law, noting its increasing presence in Kenyan society.

“Femicide is a prevalent issue in our country, and it ought to be specifically included in the Penal Code,” she said.

Earlier in the day, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah spoke on her behalf during a parliamentary session, saying she had shown regret.

“Ever since the incident happened, I have indeed spoken to her and she has offered her unreserved apologies to the country, to the Committee, to this House for that inadvertent statement,” he told his counterparts.

Ichung’wah urged legislators to consider the pressure of the vetting process.

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“Without being an apologist for her, it is only right we understand the context in which things are said… When you have no less than 20 cameras on your face, people panic,” he said.

Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei echoed the need for an apology while still backing Wendot’s appointment.

“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 said.

Wendot, the widow of former Baringo Senator William Cheptumo, was nominated to take over a docket that has remained vacant since July 2024.