Osoro's Remarks On Peninah Malonza That Angered MPs [VIDEO]

Majority Chief Whip and South Mugirango Member of Parliament (MP) Silvanus Osoro faced heated criticism from his fellow lawmakers following a section of remarks defending Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Cabinet Secretary (CS) nominee Peninah Malonza after she was rejected by the parliamentary vetting committee.

Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, October 25, Osoro lamented that the committee had biasedly turned her down based on the report by National Assembly's Committee on Appointment which vetted all CSs nominated by President William Ruto.

While arguing that it was wrong to disqualify her on one parameter, Osoro urged his colleagues to put the interests of the country first instead of relying on politics which led to the rejection of Malonza.

South Mugirango Member of Parliament (MP) Sylvanus Osoro. /CITIZEN DIGITAL

"I call upon my colleague leaders that let's learn to put our country ahead of everything.

"My imagination is that even the local politics must have played in this whole thing that warranted the rejection of Peninah Malonza. However honourable Speaker it is wrong to only use one parameter to deny her," Osoro said.

However, on his road to defending Malonza, Osoro hinted that she was probably not well prepared to face the vetting panel and that she was on her periods, something that rattled the entire August House.

"I think if we were to be fair the rejection ought to be on matters that are serious that touch on Chapter Six of the constitution, that touch on suitability but not on issues of presentation to the committee.

"Maybe she wasn't dressed very well, maybe she was on her periods. You cannot start making her...." Osoro said before uproar from MPs disrupted his speech.

Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda was among the first group of lawmakers to strongly reprimand him, stating that he should not have made matters worse by trivializing her based on the moods she had on the day. 

“Majority whip by thinking you are helping Hon Malonza by bringing issues of her periods on this floor. You are actually making it worse because we did not judge her on that.”

“You cannot also bring issues when it comes to matters women to trivialize it and become about our moods, our emotions, our periods," she ranted. Lesuuda was part of the committee that grilled Malonza during the vetting exercise.

Lesuuda was soon joined by a number of Kenyans who expressed disgust over Osoro's remarks.

The announcement was made after the leader of the Majority Kimani Ichung'wah made submissions affirming that the vetting committee resorted to rejecting the CS nominee, picked by President Ruto.

"Pursuant to the provisions of Article 152 (2), 154 (2) and 156 (2) of the Constitution and Sections 3 and 8 of the Public Appointment Act (2011) this house rejects the appointment of the honourable Peninah Malonza OGW as the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism Wildlife and Heritage," Ichung'wah noted.

However, the announcement was disputed by Minority Whip Junet Mohamed who raised a point of order indicating that more nominees were rejected.

Ichung'wah noted that the decision to reject Peninah Malonza’s nomination was not a vindication of her suitability to hold public office. According to him, she did not demonstrate knowledge of technical issues touching on the Ministry and that she lacks the requisite abilities and experience to serve as the CS of Tourism.

Malonza's nomination to the Tourism docket did not initially sit well with Members of Parliament (MP) from the Azimio la Umoja coalition who faulted how she struggled to prove herself that she was the right candidate to take over from outgoing CS Najib Balala, one of Kenya's longest office bearers of the tourism docket.

Several times she had to be corrected for misquoting facts and failing to admit she made mistakes during the vetting exercise.

Watch the video:

Majority Chief Whip Sylvanus Osoro angers Parliament after stating that Tourism CS nominee Peninah Malonza might have failed her interview because she was on her periods

????️: National Assembly#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/zYViRnBgex — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) October 25, 2022