UDA ordered to reinstate Gloria Orwoba after tribunal finds expulsion unlawful
The tribunal barred the Registrar of Political Parties from removing Orwoba’s name from the party register based on the contested decision and ordered UDA to reverse any steps taken to enforce her expulsion.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has been directed to reverse all actions taken to expel former Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba, after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal ruled that the disciplinary process was unlawful.
In its ruling on Wednesday, the tribunal found that Orwoba was denied a fair hearing and that the party’s disciplinary proceedings were riddled with legal and procedural irregularities.
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The tribunal described the process as politically motivated, noting that Orwoba was never given access to the committee’s ruling, preventing her from appealing.
“It is clear that the proceedings of the disciplinary committee were calculated to achieve a politically motivated expulsion. There was no fair opportunity of hearing, and the complainant was not furnished with the impugned decision. It is our finding that the proceedings were marred by legal procedural lapses and irregularities contrary to the rules of natural justice,” the tribunal said.
The tribunal barred the Registrar of Political Parties from removing Orwoba’s name from the party register based on the contested decision and ordered UDA to reverse any steps taken to enforce her expulsion, effectively reinstating her as a party member.
Orwoba had been expelled on May 19, 2025, for alleged disloyalty, including attending the homecoming ceremony of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and criticising President William Ruto’s labour mobility programme. She challenged the expulsion at the party’s tribunal, arguing that her rights were violated as she was denied a hearing and access to the disciplinary proceedings.
Chairing the tribunal, Desma Nungo, with members Theresa Chepkwony and Abdirahman Adan Abdikadir, unanimously declared the expulsion null and void. They noted that UDA had publicly announced her expulsion even after an interim court order had temporarily suspended the process, and that the party had relied on unsigned documents rather than official records.
“The respondent failed to produce a copy of the proceedings, so the only record is the audio and transcription, which shows that the disciplinary hearing had been suspended due to an interim court order,” Nungo said.
“She was not heard, and there was no proper hearing. This was a political process masquerading as a legal process. She should have been afforded sufficient opportunity to prepare her defense.”
The tribunal also highlighted that Orwoba had requested the committee’s written decision, which was ignored, further violating her right to a fair hearing. The ruling now sets a precedent on fair disciplinary procedures within political parties, reinforcing constitutional guarantees of justice and due process.
Meanwhile, Consolata Nabwire Wakwabubi was sworn in on Wednesday as Orwoba’s replacement in the Senate following her nomination by UDA and gazettement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on August 15. Wakwabubi, a party nominee from Bungoma County, took the oath of office before Senate Speaker Amason Kingi on Wednesday.
Orwoba has since petitioned the High Court to challenge Wakwabubi’s nomination, terming the move unconstitutional.
The case is pending hearing and determination.
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