Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

South Mugirango Member of Parliament (MP) Silvanus Osoro laments that the parliamentary vetting committee biasedly declined to approve the nomination of Peninah Malonza as Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Cabinet Secretary (CS).

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, while the House was deliberating on the report by National Assembly’s Committee on Appointment which vetted all CSs nominated by President William Ruto, Osoro stated it was wrong to disqualify Malonzo on just one parameter.

“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.

The South Mugirango MP further suggested that the vetting committee could have denied approving Malonzo’s nomination because she was on her monthly period.

“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.

Malonza’s rejection

National Assembly Committee on Appointments on Tuesday, October 25 unanimously rejected the nomination of Malonza as Tourism CS.

The committee unanimously agreed that Malonza lacks the requisite abilities and experience to serve as CS for Tourism.

Malonza appeared before the vetting committee on October 19, 2022.

While defending her nomination, she assured the vetting committee that the ministry will be in safe hands and she will work to restore the glory of Kenya’s tourism sector.

“This ministry will be in safe hands. We will focus on partnering with international marketing firms to carry out joint promotion campaigns,” she stated.

At the same time, the nominee promised to partner with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to market Kenya abroad.