Former Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba engaged in a dramatic and defiant showdown with security officers at the entrance to the House. Orwoba, who had recently won a court ruling to be reinstated, was denied access to the facility on Wednesday as a special sitting to consider the impeachment of Kericho Governor Eric Mutai was underway. The confrontation quickly escalated, with Orwoba challenging the officers to "arrest me, shoot me in the foot" and blocking the entrance with her vehicle in a powerful display of defiance.
Orwoba's attempt to regain her seat is rooted in a legal victory she secured last week. The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal reversed her ouster from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, which had expelled her over alleged misconduct and "questionable loyalty." The tribunal found that the party's disciplinary proceedings were "unlawful, procedurally flawed" and ruled that the entire process was a calculated effort to remove her from office. The tribunal, chaired by Desma Nungo, ordered the UDA to "reverse any and all decisions made in furtherance of Orwoba’s expulsion."
Despite the tribunal's clear ruling, Orwoba was replaced by Consolata Wakwabubi, who was sworn into the Senate just as the tribunal was making its decision. This legal contradiction became the focal point of Orwoba's protest. During the confrontation, she claimed that the ongoing Senate sitting was illegal because a "stranger," Consolata Wakwabubi, was on the floor of the House. “As long as that lady called Consolata Wakwabubi is sitting in that Senate, that sitting is illegal," Orwoba exclaimed, warning the people of Kericho that any outcome from the impeachment motion would be a basis for an appeal.
The former Senator accused the Clerk of the Senate, Jeremiah Nyegenyeh, of being behind her denial of entry, alleging that he was "entertaining illegalities." In a firm and assertive tone, she insisted that she was there to "go to work," and that she had all the necessary legal documents to prove her right to entry. After a protracted wait and a tense standoff, Orwoba eventually left the premises on her own will.
The drama at the Senate gate is a powerful symptom of the political infighting within the UDA party and the broader complexities of political loyalty in Kenya. Orwoba's troubles began in May when the UDA disciplinary committee recommended her expulsion, citing her move to "play for two political teams" and her criticism of government programs. UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar had argued that a lack of "fidelity and loyalty" to the party was a fundamental breach of its constitution.
