NAIROBI, Kenya – Former nominated senator Gloria Orwoba was on Wednesday, August 27, denied access to the Senate buildings despite presenting court orders that reinstated her to office.
In a video circulating online, security officers were captured blocking Orwoba at the entrance, prompting a confrontation in which she insisted she had a legal right to return to her seat.
“I am here to go back to work as per the court’s instructions and judgments that came out. In fact, I have my badge and everything…I am just coming to work,” Orwoba said, daring the officers to arrest her.
Former UDA-nominated Senator Orwoba was denied entry at the Senate entrance in Parliament, Nairobi, on Tuesday.Video by Elvis Ogina.
She maintained that she remained a duly nominated senator under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) until a contrary court ruling was issued.
Her attempt to re-enter the Senate comes a week after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) nullified her expulsion from UDA, citing multiple procedural lapses that undermined fairness and due process.
In its August 20 ruling, the tribunal, chaired by Desma Nungo, faulted the party’s disciplinary process, finding that Orwoba was denied a fair hearing and not furnished with the decision to expel her.
It also noted that key documents, including the May 8 complaint, were unsigned and undated, and that UDA failed to prove service of the expulsion decision.
“The process was tainted with procedural irregularities, stripping it of legality and fairness,” the tribunal ruled.
Orwoba had been expelled by UDA over alleged disloyalty — charges she dismissed as politically motivated.
The party defended its decision before the tribunal, arguing that the case was sub judice because Orwoba had filed a separate petition in the High Court.
The PPDT rejected this defence, ruling that no parallel proceedings were ongoing and that the matter was properly before it.
