Gloria Orwoba: I will focus on fighting for women and girls outside parliament

By Eric Nyakagwa | 3mos ago | 3 min read

In one of the many messages that landed her in trouble, Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba revealed that she had never slept with staff members or knocked on their doors with kickback envelopes from trip per diems.

“So obviously I am not scheduled for any trips or getting it easy on any services that I need fromthese offices. A quick point to note: Parliament staff are shuttling between KICC corridors for lack of office space but Clerk Nyegenye and his team of whoever is running and impersonating me in that Red Cross building would rather lock that room, put a sign of my name arid pretend that they did not hear a thing about the matter I raised,” she wrote on the Senate Business WhatsApp page.

Orwoba added: “Owing to the fact that I am now aware of the rot in that system, and that -no intention of trading sexual favors or paying kickbacks as an honourable member of this Parliament. I rest this case.”

Favoritism and discrimination, corruption, and kickbacks

“Just don’t ask me why I am, the way I am. Know that, in your space in Parliament things don’t operate as they do in my space as a vocal, fearless nominated female senator,” Orwoba concluded.

But the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Committee did not take her rants lightly as it charged her of, among others, making allegations that there were instances of the pursuit of sexual favours in Parliament, favoritism and discrimination, corruption, and kickbacks for the legislative agenda.

In one of her rants, Orwoba states: “ I have been to the clerk’s office several times @Nyegenye €0S have been to your office concerning this matter. In fact, I have intentionally stopped to come to your office because I just sense,bad-intent. What was so special about the other senator that I was with who ended up on the reimbursement? What was so bad about my request similar to hers was that the Parliament staff were given instructions to forcefully allocate me an office ‘in absentia and run it. Anyway, I wrote the letter, you can dispense it as you wish. At this point, I will focus on fighting for women and girls outside of Bunge. Bunge can continue cutting my feet and frustrating me for being me. I am waiting for the assessment about my complaint on parliamentary staff running an office under my name and the head of the sergeant at arms dismissing me and my complaint. I am also waiting to hear from the clerk on the same.”

Orwoba did not appear before the committee to defend her claims.

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It subsequently resolved that she be suspended from the House for the remainder of the Second Session of the 13th Parliament, which ends in February next year.

During the suspension, she will be denied access to the precincts of Parliament as defined in section 3 of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act 2017 and Standing Order 2 of the Senate Standing Orders and would also not use or have the enjoyment of any specified facility provided to MPs for the remainder of the Second Session of the 13th Parliament.

On resumption of Senate sitting for the Third Session, Orwoba, while at the bar will be required to apologize to the Senate, fellow Senators, the Clerk of the Senate, and the secretariat of Parliament before being admitted to the Senate, pursuant to section 17(3)(c) of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, 2017.