Senate Clerk obtains order restraining Orwoba from portraying him as 'sex predator'

Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba during a previous Senate Cohesion committee sitting on June 29, 2023. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye has obtained a court order restraining embattled nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba and other unknown Facebook and X users from publishing or reposting any publication that portrays him as a ‘sex predator’.

The order comes after the Senator claimed that some senior official were soliciting for sexual favours.

The individuals in the order issued by Senior Principal Magistrate Ruguru at the Milimani Law Courts have been stopped from publishing any innuendos and juxtaposition against the clerk as contained in the youtube post on the internet.

They have also been barred from posting the information portraying Nyegenye negatively in any print media, Facebook, Whattsapp, Telegram, Instagram, Tiktok and X and any other social media platforms and from publishing any similar defamatory in any manner whatsoever in any future publication in the world wide web, search engines, social media platforms, blogs and any other publication whatsoever.

“Pending the hearing of this application, this court has issued an order compelling the defendants, unknown X and Facebook users more specifically Abuga Makori, Lightcast TV Kenya and Amakanji Thomas from publishing and or causing to be published or reposting any publication against the plaintiff as sexual predator, or publishing any audio or video clip against the Plaintiff,” said Ruguru.

Two weeks ago, Orwoba was suspended for six months by the Senate after the house adopted recommendation made by the Powers and Privileges Committee chaired by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi following a majority decision that will see her lose several privileges enjoyed as a Senator.

The Nominated Senator was accused for making unsubstantiated allegations of sexual favours by some parliamentary officials.

She was also accused of alleging that there was discrimination in parliament by posting various messages on the Senate Business WhatsApp group in a report made by the Powers and Privileges Committee.

The Senator will lose hefty perks and other personal benefits as a Senator until February next year when she will be required to appear before the house and apologise before being readmitted.

Following the decision made by the house, Senator Orwoba will be restricted from accessing the precincts of parliament for the entire period of suspension neither will she be allowed to attend senate plenary and committee sessions leading her to lose out on the sitting allowances.

The report stated that despite Senator Orwoba being granted an opportunity to appear before the committee to back up her claims, she did not turn up which raised serious concerns about whether the allegations she had made were true.

“Senator Gloria Orwoba was given an opportunity to be heard by the Powers and Privileges Committee but the Senator declined to participate in the inquiry therefore the committee could not substantiate the claims she made,” said the report by the committee chaired by Speaker Kingi.

Orwoba was also accused of disrespecting fellow senators by publishing information that was disrespectful to her colleagues, imputing improper motives on fellow Senators, a charge that was also substantiated by the Senator failing to appear before the committee to defend herself.