Late Baringo Senator William Kipkorir Cheptumo and his wife Hannah Wendot Cheptumo.
MPs vetting President William Ruto’s cabinet secretary nominees were shocked after they were told how the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo borrowed Sh250,000 while already dead.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Gender and Culture nominee Ms Hannah Cheptumo stunned the committee when she revealed that a quarter of a million had been borrowed from her late husband’s account, presumably by the deceased.
The chilling revelation followed a question by Speaker Wetang’ula regarding the nominee’s net worth.
In her response, Ms Cheptumo told the committee that the family is worth an estimated Sh420 million minus the Sh250,000 that was “borrowed” and immediately spent.
She pointed out that the money was purportedly “borrowed” by her late husband while he was lying in the coffin during a requiem service at the AIC Milimani Church in Nairobi.
“I don’t have money; the money I have belongs to my husband. By the way, part of what was due to him has already been stolen in the Cooperatives.”
“During the day we were having the church service, I was told that Sh250,000 was borrowed by him. I was asked who was holding his phone. Then I was told, s'o you are a beneficiary of corrupt dealings? I said why and the person responded that 'it is because he has borrowed Sh250,000 and it has already been spent,” she added.
The late Cheptumo died on February 15 at the age of 57 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nairobi. He was laid to rest on March 1 at his Bartabwa home in Baringo County.
Late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo.
Ms Cheptumo was nominated to the Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage docket last month to take over a docket that has been vacant since the sacking of former holder Aisha Jumwa.
She was nominated together with Mbeere North Geoffrey Ruku, who is hoping to replace the recently fired Public Service cabinet secretary Justin Muturi.
Ms Cheptumo also caused laughter when she told the committee that she does not have answers to some questions being asked.
“You know some questions you attempt while others you will deal with when you get to the ministry.”
