Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children’s Services, Hanna Wendot, has maintained a low profile since she was sworn into office in April.

Her silence and decision to stay out of the public eye have caught the attention of many Kenyans. They have been asking where she is since it is expected, just like her colleagues in the Cabinet, who frequently appear on TV interviews and other platforms to explain their dockets, outline achievements, and share upcoming plans, that she would do the same.

Recent activities

Some argue that perhaps this is her modus operandi: doing much but speaking little. A look at her social media pages shows that she has indeed been active, visiting various places relevant to her ministry. Recently, she made a quiet visit to the Kenya National Museum one afternoon, an outing that was not publicised in the usual manner for a person in her capacity.

She has also presided over important meetings, such as the one held at State House and graced by the First Lady, which addressed the prevalence of HIV and AIDS and gender-based violence. Governors from counties with high cases of such challenges were in attendance.

At the meeting, Wendot expressed her fury over what is happening to children in the present day, citing the surge in rape cases, sodomy, and other vices. She pleaded with legislators and stakeholders to help curb the crisis.

Mourning Kyalo Mbobu

Wendot, a lawyer by profession, also joined the country and the legal fraternity in mourning the slain legal counsel, Kyalo Mbobu, who was recently assassinated in Nairobi.

She revealed that Mbobu had been her lecturer at the University of Nairobi (UON), where he taught her the law of evidence, and beyond the lecture hall, he was a cherished family friend.

A few days ago, Wendot handed over essential items to Kabarnet School for the Blind. This followed an earlier visit to the school, where she chose to spend time with visually impaired children rather than host a homecoming ceremony in her village after being appointed to the Cabinet.

Her “silence” has therefore become noticeable. Many Kenyans have been questioning her whereabouts online, yet a glance at her Facebook page reveals that she has been attending numerous events specific to her docket.

 Unlike her predecessor, Aisha Jumwa, who was frequently in the spotlight before being left out of President Ruto’s 2024 Cabinet reshuffle, Wendot appears to have chosen a quieter approach.

Appointment

Hannah Wendot was appointed to the docket following the death of her husband, William Cheptumo, then the Senator for Baringo County, in March.

She made headlines during her vetting when members of the National Assembly Committee on Appointments asked her how she would curb the rising cases of femicide, particularly among young university women.

Her response, that “those being killed are those looking for money”, sparked backlash from civil society groups. The controversy was so heated that Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah later issued an apology on her behalf before her suitability for the position was confirmed.

The country might be reading her wrong; it isn’t that she is silent; it only takes a person who follows her closely on social media. Her pages are slowly growing. Maybe what disadvantages her from the rest of her colleagues might be having fewer numbers on the socials; that is what might be fueling the public fury