President William Ruto on Thursday officiated the swearing-in of Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku and Hanna Wendot Cheptumo as Cabinet Secretaries for Public Service and Gender, respectively, in a ceremony held at State House.
The appointments were formalized through a gazette notice issued on Wednesday, following unanimous approval by Members of the National Assembly. The House gave the green light after the Committee on Appointments completed its vetting process and tabled its report on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
According to the committee’s fifth report, Ruku was found to have demonstrated a strong grasp of administrative, technical, and policy matters relevant to the Public Service, Human Capital Development, and Special Projects docket. Cheptumo, meanwhile, was lauded for her knowledge of issues touching on gender, culture, the arts, and heritage.
“Taking into consideration the findings of the Committee on Appointments and pursuant to Article 152(2) of the Constitution and Sections 3 and 8 of the Public Appointments Act, this House approves the appointment of Hon. Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku and Hanna Wendot Cheptumo as Cabinet Secretaries,” the committee’s report stated.
Ruku replaces Justin Muturi, who was dismissed in the recent Cabinet reshuffle. Cheptumo’s appointment fills a vacancy in the Gender Ministry, which had remained without a substantive CS since President Ruto dissolved his Cabinet on July 11, 2024. She takes over from Aisha Jumwa, who was dismissed in the aftermath of that move.
During their vetting on Monday, both nominees were questioned on critical issues in their respective ministries and their records in public service.