Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba on Thursday, May 22, poked holes into her sudden ouster, questioning the role of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties ( ORPP) in the matter.
Through a statement, Orwoba took issue with the Registrar of Political Parties, Ann Nderitu, seemingly alleging an overlap of roles by Nderitu that played a key role in her swift removal from the Senate.
Orwoba queried whether it was in line with the law for Nderitu to clear Senate Speaker Amason Kingi to declare her seat vacant as the CEO of ORPP while she was still one of the nominees for the Commissioner post at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“Was she writing as a Commissioner of IEBC or as the CEO of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties? Or was she writing as the CEO of Registrar of Political Parties, then waiting to receive it as the Commissioner of IEBC so she could effect it?”
However, Nderitu is yet to be sworn into office as an IEBC Commissioner as she has to go through parliamentary vetting and approval. This then flaws Orwoba’s argument.
Even so, she also poked holes into the letter, saying only Speaker Kingi had seen Nderitu’s letter, adding that the CEO had not given her any prior communication on her intended removal.
When a political party wants to expel a Nominated Senator, as was the case with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orwoba, it must notify ORPP. The ORPP reviews the matter and, if satisfied that proper procedure was followed, writes to the Senate and IEBC confirming the expulsion.
Once ORPP confirms expulsion and the Senate communicates the vacancy to IEBC, the electoral commission selects and gazettes the next qualified nominee from the party.
On Monday, May 19, UDA dismissed Orwoba from the party, following a disciplinary hearing.
It came after a section of UDA leadership was not pleased by her decision to attend the homecoming party of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i earlier this month, which led to officials questioning the senator's loyalty to the party.
After her expulsion, the party nominated Consolata Wabwire Wakwabubi from Kimilili Constituency, Bungoma County, to fill Orwoba's position.
Her inevitable ouster from the Senate was confirmed on Wednesday, May 21, after Senate Speaker Amason Kingi declared her seat vacant, paving the way for her replacement under a UDA ticket.
However, this was put in limbo after the High Court in Nairobi issued a conservatory order suspending UDA's decision to expel Orwoba from the party.
