NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 19 – Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba on Tuesday walked out of the Senate chambers after refusing to read a prescribed apology verbatim, arguing that its wording could be self-incriminating amid ongoing court proceedings.
Orwoba had been directed to issue a formal apology to the Senate, its members, the Clerk of the Senate, and the Parliamentary Secretariat before being allowed back into the House.
However, she maintained that the prescribed statement was unfair and would compromise her legal standing.
“Having heard your advice and noting that by reading this apology I will be incriminating myself, and considering that this is attached to my work, I find that very unfair,” she stated.
“Mr. Speaker, I still stand by my dignity and where I am. I have no option but to walk away from my duties because I cannot read an incriminating statement on a matter that has not been investigated,” she declared before exiting the chambers.
As she exited the chamber, she warned fellow lawmakers that similar situations could arise in the future.
“It is happening to me now, but it is going to happen to you in the future,” Orwoba noted.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi ruled on the matter stating that the apology must be read exactly as approved by the Senate plenary and that he lacked the authority to alter its wording.
“It is not up to the Speaker or the Chair to vary the apology. The apology was prescribed by a Senate sitting at a plenary. Only the plenary can reopen this matter and amend that apology. As it stands, it must be read as contained in the report,” Kingi ruled.
He further clarified that Orwoba was free to return at any time to read the apology as instructed but would not be permitted back into the House until she complied.
While expressing a willingness to apologize, Orwoba insisted that the specific wording of the apology could jeopardize her position in an ongoing court case.
“Mr. Speaker, I have apologized before, and I have no problem reading a prescribed apology. I just want to draw your attention to the fact that there is an ongoing court case, and I have been advised that the prescribed apology, in its current wording, is self-incriminating and undermines my right to a fair process,” she stated.
She reiterated her regret for any offense caused to her colleagues but urged the Senate to allow a modified version of the apology.
“I continue to acknowledge and express regret for my conduct, and I sincerely seek to assure my colleagues that I am sorry for any offense I may have caused them. However, the wording of the prescribed apology could be used against me in the ongoing court process,” the nominated senator argued.
Orwoba’s refusal to comply with the directive has left her Senate membership in limbo, as her readmission is contingent on delivering the apology as prescribed.
The Senate had reduced the suspension of the embattled nominated from 79 to 30 calendar days. The Senators agreed to pardon Orwoba in what they termed as showing remorse following her suspension.
Senator Orwoba who had commenced her suspension from February 12 this year was allowed back to the Senate and the precincts of Parliament on March 13 this year on the terms resolved by the Senate on September 20, 2023.
In 2023, the Senate Powers and Privileges Committee accused Orwoba of disrespecting fellow senators by publishing disparaging information, imputing improper motives on colleagues, and making unsubstantiated allegations of sexual favors involving some parliamentary staff.
Source: capitalfm
