Senator Gloria Orwoba Begins 79-day Suspension from Parliament

Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has begun her suspension from the House after losing a court battle to bar the Senate from suspending her over gross misconduct.

Senator Orwoba will be out of Parliament precincts for 79 calendar days during which she will not enjoy any privileges extended to Members of Parliament.

During the suspension period, Senator Orwoba will not be allowed to participate in any House activity, draw any committee allowances, or claim mileage allowance, and she will not enjoy any other unspecified facilities provided to MPs.

The lawmaker will only be allowed back in the House on May 1, 2025.

Ms Orwoba sat pensively in the morning session as deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi delivered the final house decision, which he maintained was final, directing the Clerk of the Senate to ensure the resolutions were enforced immediately.

Mr Murungi was however considerate and gave the Senator one minute to say her last words as she started her suspension.

A remorseful Senator Orwoba apologised to her colleagues asking them to forgive her saying she had learnt her lesson.

“If there are people and members of the staff that I have offended, take this as my sincere apology and truly from the bottom of my heart. I have learnt to represent people better,” Senator Orwoba said.

“I own up to my actions and space. As I proceed with my suspension, I hope those I have offended will find it in their hearts to forgive me. It was not my intention to ridicule this upper house out there,” she added.

The senator got into trouble with the House Committee of Powers and Privileges in 2023 after publishing on her social media allegations that a senior Senate official had resorted to harassing her after she declined his sexual advances.

She also claimed that some of her colleagues were corruptly earning per diems in exchange for sexual favours and for their legislative agenda to sail through.

The committee chaired by the Senate speaker in August 2023 commenced an inquiry, on its own motion, into the conduct of the senator in order to find out whether her conduct constituted a breach of privilege.

However, Senator Orwoba rushed to court and filed a petition against the Attorney General, the Clerk of the Senate, the Speaker of the Senate, the Senate Committee of Powers and Privileges, and the Senate seeking conservatory orders barring the Senate Committee from proceeding with the inquiry into her conduct.

The court however declined to grant the conservatory orders sought and instead ordered that the application be served and be mentioned on 21st September, 2023

The committee therefore proceeded with its inquiry and report tabled on August 10, recommended Orwoba’s suspension for failing to appear before it to substantiate claims she made against her colleagues on corruption and sexual harassment.

However, in September 2023 the senator again filed a judicial review in Machakos High Court seeking orders to quash the recommendations of the committee.

The matter was heard ex parte on September 28, 2023, and orders were issued whose effect was to suspend implementation of the Resolution of the Senate.

The Senate protested the decision and the matter was subsequently transferred to the High Court at Milimani and was heard before Justice Lawrence Mugambi.

Justice Mugambi in his ruling issued in January 2025, concurred with the Senate’s decision, as the senator was given a chance to appear before the Powers and Privileges Committee to defend herself but snubbed the session.

“Senator Gloria Orwoba was provided with an opportunity to appear and state her case, presumably even raising all manner of preliminary issues before the Senate Powers and Privileges Committee but she instead opted not to participate and walked out on the committee,” Mugambi said in his ruling.

Justice Mugambi ruled out any infringement on the senator’s right to fair and administrative action as required by law as she was allowed to appear before the committee to defend herself.