UDA disciplinary hearing stalls as Senator Orwoba presents court injunction
Orwoba, who was expected to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee at the Hustler Centre, arrived instead with her legal team to serve the order from the High Court.
The disciplinary hearing against nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba failed to proceed on Friday after she presented a court order stopping the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) from taking any further action against her.
Orwoba, who was expected to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee at the Hustler Centre, arrived instead with her legal team to serve the order from the High Court.
Dressed in a UDA-branded polo shirt, Orwoba maintained she had honoured the summons and expressed gratitude to her legal representatives.
"This morning I honored summons by my party United Democratic Alliance, where my legal team served the orders granted by the High Court to stop the disciplinary case," she wrote.
"I want to thank my team of lawyers for their dedication and hard work. Asante sana."
The party had summoned her over allegations of misconduct, accusing her of contravening its Code of Conduct.
A letter dated May 7 from disciplinary committee chairperson Charles Njenga listed three grounds for the disciplinary process.
The committee cited Orwoba’s attendance at the welcoming of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i at the airport and her presence at his homecoming event at Gusii Stadium.
It also took issue with her April 22 interview on Spice FM, during which she criticised the government’s labour mobility programme.
"Your participation and utterances in the above stated events clearly demonstrate instances and proof of allegiance to another political movement, conduct unbecoming and disloyalty to the United Democratic Alliance Party (hereafter the party) and which nominated you to the office and position of Senator in the Senate of the Republic of Kenya," read part of the letter.
In response, Orwoba dismissed the process as a "witch hunt by external parties involved in the diaspora jobs scam."
She had been expected to appear and explain her conduct, with the risk of facing punitive action, including possible expulsion.
The party had indicated that if the committee found her liable, its recommendations would be forwarded to the National Executive Committee for further action.
