NAIROBI, Kenya – Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has been suspended for 79 days, effective immediately, with the suspension set to lapse on May 1, 2025.
This comes after the senator allied to the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party tried in vain to appeal the ruling in court.
Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi instructed the Senate Clerk to enforce the suspension order against Senator Orwoba in a message to the House on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
“Taking note of the judgement delivered by the court on August 15, 2024, and the orders therein, Senator Gloria Orwoba shall now forthwith commence her suspension following the resolution of the Senate on September 20, 2023, and the report of the Powers and Privileges Committee on her conduct,” the Deputy Speaker ruled.
These chats have been leaked to me from senators WhatsApp group. Senator Gloria Orwoba will tomorrow face disciplinary action for disrespecting other senators, lying about sexual harassment and other accusations. Here she had an exchange with Catherine Mumma the ODM NEB Chair
How Senator Gloria Orwoba apologised to her colleagues
After rejecting the senator’s attempt to prevent the Senate from suspending her from House business, the High Court maintained the Senate Powers and Privileges Committee’s decision to suspend Orwoba for six months.
Orwoba apologised to her Senate staff and coworkers for offending them after being suspended.
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me this time to possibly offer my apologies to members of this House and to members of staff who I might have offended as I pursued whatever I was pursuing in terms of oversight and legislation,” said the nominated senator.
Orwoba, who was nominated by the UDA party to represent women in the Senate through the 2022 General Election, said that if there is anyone she might have offended, forgive her.
“Take this as my sincere apology and truly from the bottom of my heart, and as you can see, I have learnt to represent people better, and it is a learning curve, Mr. Speaker. However, I do understand that I also own up to my actions and that I own up to my space, and also, as I proceed with my suspension, I do hope that those I have offended will find in their hearts to forgive me that it was not my intention to put out the Senate and that it seems I was trying to ridicule this upper House,” she explained before the House.
Why Senator Gloria Orwoba moved to the High Court
Orwoba had declined to appear before the Powers and Privileges Committee, an internal disciplinary body, before requesting court intervention, according to High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi’s order.
“The petitioner was provided with the opportunity to appear and state her case, presumably raising all manner of preliminary issues before the Powers and Privileges Committee. However, she opted not to participate and walked out on the committee,” the judge ruled.
“Having voluntarily refused to participate, I find that there was no infringement of her right to fair administrative action or her right to a fair hearing in this case. I thus dismiss this petition/judicial review application with costs to the respondents,” he added.
Justice Mugambi emphasised that Senator Orwoba’s decision to decline participation in the committee’s inquiry undermined her claim to a fair hearing.
Orwoba had already applied to the court, arguing that the committee lacked the authority to look into claims against her behaviour, and was granted a temporary injunction to stop her suspension.
The senator was charged by the Senate Powers and Privileges Committee in 2023 of demeaning other senators by publicising negative information, blaming colleagues for unethical motivations, and making unfounded claims of sexual favours involving certain parliamentary personnel.
