Reprieve for Orwoba as court temporarily stops suspension

Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The High Court in Machakos has temporarily stopped the suspension of Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba.

Justice Rayola Olel while issuing the orders on Thursday granted Orwoba leave to file a substantive Notice of Motion within 14 days and serve the Attorney General, Clerk of the Senate, Speaker of the Senate, the Senate Committee on Power and Privileges, and the Senate.

The leave the court said will operate as a stay of her suspension.

“Leave granted will operate as a stay of the ex-parte applicant, barring the ex-parte applicant from the Assembly precincts for the remainder of the second session of the thirteenth parliament from the date of the adoption of the report by the 5th respondent,” read the order in part.

Orwoba was suspended from the Senate and Parliament precincts for six months following the adoption of a report by the Powers and Privileges Committee tabled on August 10 which recommended her suspension for failing to appear before it to substantiate claims she made against her colleagues on corruption and sexual harassment.

Orwoba on July 27, made a personal statement where she disclosed the harassment she underwent at the hands of the Clerk of the Senate and the Senate.

The Clerk of the Senate, she said, on August 3, through the office of the Senate Committee on Powers and Privileges, summoned her for the purpose of an inquiry. She was to appear before them on August 7.

She claims that the Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye was using the Committee to thwart her efforts to put sanity in parliament she filed a petition on August 4. She wanted the court to issue orders barred from investigating her conduct.

The court, she said, considered her application and certified it as urgent.

She said she later appeared before the committee on August 7 and reminded them of a pending case and requested additional documents relating to the allegations. She also sought additional time to enable her to prepare.

She noted that the committee went ahead and conducted the alleged hearing without her input and a report was sent to the Senate for adoption and she was subsequently suspended.

She claims she stands to lose her parliamentary seat as she will be absent from eight sittings of the house. Her reputation she claims will be tainted.

The case will be mentioned on October 25 for further directions.