Silvanus Osoro is a Kenyan politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament for South Mugirango constituency. The journey to the top for him was filled with lots of tribulations. Having lost both his parents at a young age, he was brought up by different relatives and even lived on the streets of Nairobi for quite some time.
After completing high school, he did a number of odd jobs before joining the university and registering his own company. He has worked as a tea picker, a newspaper vendor, a second hand clothes seller, salesman and finally as a legislator.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Education
He sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education at Chemasingi Primary School and passed with flying colours after scoring 406 marks out of 500. He was called to Kapsabet Boys High School but was unable to join.
Later, he joined Hill Secondary School and sat for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education and scored a mean of B+. He was called to Kenyatta University to pursue a Bachelor Degree in Education but he did not go as that was not his passion.
Later, he did CPA 1 and 2 before enrolling at Mount Kenya University for a Bachelor of Law Degree.
1.Education Background:
| From | To | Education Institution | Qualification |
| 2014 | 2017 | Mt. Kenya University | Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) |
| 2003 | 2006 | Hill Secondary School | Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education |
| 1995 | 2002 | Chemasingi Primary School | Kenya Certificate of Primary Education |
Marriage
The legislator is married to a beautiful lady from Meru and the two have three sons. He credits his wife for being there for him when he had nothing and has been his number 1 supporter and advisor.
Background
Osoro was born in a family of three brothers and three sisters as the fifth born. Their father, Meshack Onyiego, was a secondary school teacher, while his mother Sarah Kemunto was a nurse at Kaplong hospital in Bomet county.
Everything was okay and theirs was a well-off family. Life took a turn when their parents died within four months.
“Our parents took good care of us. But things started going wrong when my father became sick, an illness that persisted for three years, when I was in class five,” he told The standard.
Their mother also fell ill and died after three weeks. Their father then died four months later, and their lives changed drastically as they were sent to live with different relatives. He ended up with an uncle who was a businessman in Nairobi.
Unfortunately, the uncle was sent to jail and his business went down. The aunt found it difficult to take care of all the children, thus, he ran away and went to look for food on the streets. He ended up living on the streets and sleeping on pavements for five months. A neighbor of his uncle found him one day and took him back home to his aunt’s place.
He was enrolled at Kihara Primary School but he ran away to live with another uncle in Mukuru kwa Njenga slums. This particular uncle had no means to take him to school, therefore, he introduced him to the scrap metal business. It was this business that helped him raise enough fare to Kericho for him and his brother.
They travelled to Kericho to stay with another uncle who was a senior manager at a tea estate. Their aunt was not happy with having them at their home. Nonetheless, they were enrolled at Chemasingi Primary School where he passed and was called to Kapsabet Boys but the uncle was unwilling to pay the fees.
A few relatives who had squandered his father’s money enrolled him at Kamungei High School but he stayed for only a term and was unable to continue owing to lack of fees.
As most of his relatives were unable to help him raise money for fees, he went to his rural home and stayed with his grandfather. While there, he cooked and sold mandazi and was out of school for two terms but would always borrow notes from other students.
Silvanus Osoro then went for an interview at Nyabigena Secondary School where he passed and joined form two. The school bursar was a relative who helped him but he died in third term, unfortunately.
This forced him to move to his aunt’s place where a chance meeting with a man who had been acquainted with his father changed his luck. The man offered him a scholarship at his private Hill Secondary School in Kisii.
Career
The MP declined the chance to join Kenyatta University to pursue an Education course. He then moved to Nairobi and became a Standard newspaper vendor. From the job, he earned Ksh100 a day and would also get a commission of Ksh5 for each sold newspaper. He would also sell clothes from Gikomba in the evening.
After saving enough money, he did CPA then enrolled as an undergraduate at Mount Kenya University
He previously worked as a merchandiser for a sales company before registering a company by the name Pitch Fall Limited in 2010. The company deals with direct sales and marketing of fast moving goods.
He is currently South Mugirango constituency MP.
- 2.Employment/Service History:
| From | To | Employer/Institution | Position Held |
| 2009 | Current | Pitchface Marketing | Managing Director/Founder |
- 3.Membership to Committees (12th Parliament):
| From | To | Committee | Position Held |
| 2017 | To date | Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations | Member |
| 2017 | To date | Committee on Implementation | Member |
Trivia
According to an article by The Standard on 31st August 2020, Moticho ward MCA Evans Mokoro accused Silvanus Osoro of attacking him during a church service they attended on Sunday.
“Osoro demanded to know as to why I have been abusing him after which his bodyguard and other supporters joined in beating me up without any provocation from my side,” he told The Standard.
The MP denied these allegations saying that happened long after he had left the church and there was no way of proving his supporters were responsible for the attack.
On 1st February 2021, the South Mugirango MP and Simba Arati fought during the funeral service of deputy governor Joash Maangi father. Arati’s remarks to the deputy president William Ruto prompted Osoro to jump on the podium which caused a scuffle which lasted for a number of minutes. This forced the two to leave the funeral early.
The MP apologised to Maangi’s family saying he was only attempting to switch off the microphone to avoid his then Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati from making inflammatory statements. He said of his untoward behavior:
′′ I apologize for what happened. I apologized to the family of the deputy governor of Kisii Joash Maangi on the day of the burial. I went to the stage to switch off the mic to avoid Arati to give words that can motivate people and avoid things like those 2007. We didn’t fight Simba Arati. It was a quick greeting.. n Today I have been with Arati. n We have had lunch together. He is my best friend in parliament,” Silvanus Osoro shared.
