Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma has demanded the withdrawal of a video circulating online showing his parliamentary exchange with Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo during debate on the Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill.
Kaluma said the proceedings featured in the video took place last year when Parliament was considering the Bill, which included provisions on assisted reproductive technology and surrogacy.
According to Kaluma, Odhiambo had proposed provisions allowing surrogacy for people who were unable to conceive naturally.
Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma. Photo: Courtesy.
He noted that he subsequently introduced amendments to the Bill, all of which were passed by Parliament.
Kaluma moreover stated that Odhiambo had during the debate claimed that his proposed amendments had delayed or prevented her from having a child through surrogacy.
The Homa Bay MP said he responded by arguing that Parliament makes laws for posterity and should therefore not allow provisions it considers inappropriate to pass simply to address individual circumstances.
He further maintained that surrogacy was not prohibited in Kenya and therefore his amendments did not prevent anyone from pursuing the procedure.
Kaluma cited fellow MP Shabir as an example, saying the legislator had confirmed having children through surrogacy while the Bill was still under consideration in Parliament.
The legislator has now raised concerns over the circulation of the parliamentary video more than a year after the original proceedings.
Kaluma accused those sharing the video of deliberately leaving out the circumstances surrounding the debate, arguing that doing so could create a misleading impression about his position on surrogacy and his interaction with Odhiambo.
He described the republication of the video without context as malicious and defamatory, claiming that it had damaged and continued to damage his reputation.
Kaluma has demanded that the video be retracted and that an apology be issued. He warned that failure to comply could lead to legal action for alleged defamation.
The MP maintained that the full context of the parliamentary proceedings should accompany any republication of the video to avoid misrepresenting the debate and his position on the Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill.
