Hon. Peninah Malonza, OGW serves as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, The Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALs) & Regional Development. She is also an Ex Officio Member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Prior to this appointment she was the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, the President of the 13th Governing Council of the Parties to Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora as well as the Vice Chairperson of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Commission for Africa (CAF).
Born in 1974 in Kitui South Constituency, Kitui County in South Eastern Kenya, Peninah is the first ever Cabinet Secretary to be appointed from that region since independence.
Peninah desires to touch the lives of ordinary Kenyans by uplifting their livelihoods. She is passionate about teamwork, networking and building strong relationships with key stakeholders in an effort to positively impact people’s lives.
Peninah served as the first Deputy Governor of Kitui County, 2013-2017 where as a member of the County Executive Management Team, she managed and coordinated the implementation of both County and National Government legislation.
Prior to her entry in the public service, Peninah worked in development organizations including Compassion International – Kenya Office 2006-2013 where she rose to the position of Partner in Training and Support Director. She also served as Project Coordinator at AMREF- Kenya.
Peninah is a graduate of the University of Nairobi in Anthropology. She also holds two masters’ degrees from the same institution in Public Health and in Project Planning and Management.
