- In count one (b), the committee said the Senator made allegations of favouritism and discrimination.
- She will also not enjoy any specified facility provided to members by Parliament for the remainder of the Second Session of the Thirteenth Parliament.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Senate Powers and Privileges committee has suspended Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba from the House until February next year over alleged gross misconduct.
The dreaded disciplinary committee is chaired by speaker Amason Kingi.
The panel delivered the harsh punishment after the lawmaker failed to honour its invites and summons to defend herself against damning allegations.
If approved, Orwoba won’t attend senate plenary and committee sessions and thus will forgo sitting allowance.
During this period, the senator will not be allowed to access the precincts of Parliament.
She will also be barred from local and foreign travel, which MPs bank on for extra coins outside their normal pay.
"On resumption of Senate sitting for the Third Session(February 2024), the Senator, while at the bar apologises to the Senate, Honourable Senators, the clerk of the Senate and the Secretariat of parliament before being admitted to the Senate," the committee said in its recommendation.
The committee had pressed two charges against Senator Orowba leading to her suspension.
The committee in Charge One (a) the findings of the committee accused the senator of making unsubstantiated allegations that there were instances of pursuit of sexual favours in Parliament.
The Senate committee said the Senator posted various messages regarding the matter on the Senate Business WhatsApp Group on diverse dates.
In count one (b), the committee said the Senator made allegations of favouritism and discrimination.
"Senator Gloria Orwoba, MP, on diverse dates, made unsubstantiated allegations that there was discrimination in Parliament by posting various messages on the Senate," the findings of the committee read in part.
The Senate committee findings also indicated that Orwoba made allegations of kickbacks for legislative agenda in Parliament contrary to the law.
In Charge Two, Orwoba faced allegations of disrespecting fellow senators and imputing proper motives on fellow senators.
"That Senator Gloria Orwoba, MP, on diverse dates, published information that was disrespectful towards fellow Senators on the Senate Business WhatsApp Group," the committee stated in its findings.
Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot said the situation is embarrassing to the house as this was the first term the panel has recommended severe punishment against a senator.
“This is really embarrassing us as a House. We are trying to see how to put our heads together and what can we do to cover ourselves. Let us not reduce this to a party issue,” Cheruiyot said.
“Call on the collective wisdom of the House. She might be right or she might be wrong. There can never be a winner and a loser in this house."
Nyamira Senator Okongó Omogeni said:
“This has been unprecedented. In such harsh and excessive almost unreasonable being meted on a member of parliament more so a female and a young member who should be nurtured, grow and make women of the public proud.”
The House will debate the report before taking a vote to decide her fate.