Orwoba freed hours after arrest at Parliament gate

Former nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba was yesterday freed from the Parliament Police Station after she had been arrested over an unsuccessful attempt to access the precincts of Parliament. 

Her lawyer Moses Mabeya told The Standard that his client was freed on bail paid at the Central Police Station hours after the arrest.

She was arrested in the afternoon after her vehicle, which was parked at the main Parliament entrance blocked access to the precincts, prompting an altercation with the Sergeants at arms. 

Orwoba who was armed with court documents had sought to access the Senate chamber where plenary sittings were ongoing but was denied access leading to a scuffle before her vehicle was eventually towed.

The former lawmaker was heard shouting demanding that she be let in premised on the fact that a Court ruling had found her suspension from the House as illegal and that it had directed that she be reinstated.

“I am not obstructing anyone. In fact you are the ones obstructing me from accessing my workplace…I am the one who should be arresting you for obstructing me. I am not here to serve the court papers. They have already served in the Senate and that is why I am here,” stated a visibly agitated Orobwa.

Shortly after, uniformed female officers appeared and whisked her away to the nearby Bunge police station. 

Her car was also subsequently towed away. The altercation lasted approximately 15 minutes before calm and normalcy was restored.

The incident marked the second in which the former Senator had tried to storm Parliament. 

On August 25, 2027, Orwoba had tried to gain access to the facility to present her reinstatement papers following a court ruling in her favour but was denied entry. This prompted a confrontation with the security officers.

During the confrontation, Orwoba claimed that she was legally in office and that she should be let into the Senate where a special sitting to consider the impeachment motion against Kericho Governor Eric Mutai was ongoing.

The former Nominated Senator had been replaced by Consolata Wakwabubi shortly after her nomination to the House was withdrawn by the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

"As long as that lady called Consolata Wakwabubi is sitting in that Senate, that sitting is illegal. That is a stranger on the floor of the House. That is a basis for an appeal for whatever outcome the impeachment will bring out," she exclaimed as her presence at the gate continued to draw attention.

"I have the orders that have removed her (Consolata) from the seat yet the Speaker of the Senate continues to entertain illegalities. The people of Kericho should know that whatever they (Senators) are doing is not legal because there is a stranger who is sitting and thinking that she is executing an impeachment.”

All this time, she kept daring officers who were on the other side of the gate to arrest her, further accusing the Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenyeh of being behind her denial of entry.

In defiance, she blocked the Senate entrance with her vehicle denying access to any cars coming seeking entry or exit.

"You can arrest me, shoot me in the foot because you have orders from above but this car is going to work.... I know the law and I have everything required to gain access to the Senate. I came here to go to work," she reiterated when confronted by the officers manning the gate.

However, after a protracted wait, she left on her own will.

Notably, Orwoba’s renewed attempt to access the Senate was prompted by a High Court ruling that declared UDA’s action of expelling her as illegal and ordered for her reinstatement. 

In a ruling delivered on April 14, the Court declined to suspend a decision that found UDA’s expulsion of ex-nominated senator Gloria Orwoba from the party as unprocedural. 

Justice Lawrence Mugambi directed UDA to comply with the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) order to reinstate Orwoba to both the party and the Senate. 

UDA had argued that implementing the PPDT orders would cause its Electoral Nomination and Dispute Resolution Committee (ENDRC) irreparable harm, as it would be permanently restrained from enforcing its disciplinary mandate.

However, Justice Mugambi ruled that the party had failed to demonstrate that its disciplinary structures would be affected. 

He upheld the PPDT decision, which nullified Orwoba’s expulsion from the party and the gazettement of Consolata Nabwire as her replacement as Nominated Senator.