A Kenyan legislator has caused uproar in parliament and on social media after making remarks that appeared to insinuate that the reason one female nominee could have been rejected for a ministerial position was because she might have been on her monthly period.

Ms Peninah Malonza was a nominee for the position of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage minister and a parliamentary committee recommended rejecting her.

A sitting of the whole parliament has however overruled that rejection and she is now cleared for appointment.

The parliamentary vetting committee said the decision to reject Ms Malonza was because she failed to demonstrate to the panel her knowledge of issues about the ministry.

While trying to defend Ms Malonza, the MP who is being accused of sexism appeared to suggest she failed to impress the vetting team because she may have been on her period - but that this should not rule her out.

“The rejection ought to be on matters that are serious… not on issues of presentation to the committee, maybe she wasn’t dressed very well, maybe she was on her period,” MP Silvanus Osoro said.

Irked by the remarks, a female legislator called for MPs to stick to issues, not sideshows or trivial matters, when deliberating on women’s competencies.

“You cannot trivialise women’s issues to become about our moods, emotions, periods, that, that day I did not wake up on the right side of the bed, that’s why I didn’t answer the questions right.” MP Naisula Lesuuda said.