IEBC gazzetes replacement of Gloria Orwoba as nominated Senator
Embattled Senator Gloria Orwoba addressing the press on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Nairobi. Photo/Sande Onyango
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has removed Ms Gloria Magoma Orwoba from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nomination list to the Senate and replaced her with Ms Consolata Nabwire Wakwabubi.
In a notice published in the Kenya Gazette on August 15, 2025, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon indicated that Ms Orwoba’s name has been deleted from the second schedule of nominated women members to the Senate.
Her slot has now been taken by Ms Wakwabubi, from Kimilili in Bungoma County, who will serve under the UDA party banner.
“Page 7022, Second Column, Row-5; Delete: Gloria Magoma Orwoba. Insert: Consolata Nabwire Wakwabubi,” the Gazette notice read.
This marks the official end of Ms Orwoba’s turbulent stint in the Senate, which was marked by controversy and internal party wrangles.
Ms Orwoba, nominated by UDA after the 2022 General Election, rose to prominence in February 2023 when she staged a protest in the Senate chambers against period stigma.
She walked into Parliament wearing stained white trousers, sparking heated debate nationwide.
While her bold move drew praise from women’s rights groups and international media, it also attracted criticism from colleagues who accused her of breaching parliamentary decorum.
Her tenure was further marred by a series of clashes with fellow senators, accusations of indiscipline, and strained relations with UDA leadership.
She was suspended more than once over conduct deemed ‘disruptive’ in the House.
By mid-2024, her ties with UDA had weakened, with insiders hinting at plans to eject her from the party’s Senate list.
A widely shared photo showing the then nominated Senator warmly meeting former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on the night of April 18, 2025, was the climax of her tribulations.
The image, which quickly went viral, sparked scrutiny because Ms Orwoba was perceived to associate with Dr Matiang’i a leader with opposition ranks.
Ms Orwoba later explained on a local radio station that her presence at the reception was due to a regional invitation she could not decline, emphasizing it was a gesture of community solidarity--not political alliance.
On May 9, 2025, UDA’s disciplinary committee formally summoned her, citing actions viewed as disloyal, including her role in welcoming Dr Matiang’i at both JKIA and at his homecoming in Gusii Stadium.
They also flagged her critical public remarks about the labour mobility programme.
Two(2) days later, Ms Orwoba took her case to court and obtained an injunction preventing UDA from proceeding with disciplinary action, pending a full hearing.
The Gazette notice now formalises her replacement with Ms Wakwabubi.
