Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba was escorted out of a Senate Plenary session on Tuesday for wearing what appeared to be stained clothing.
Senator Orwoba had arrived at the session wearing a white blazer, a green top, and a matching white trouser that appeared to have a pink stain.
She was later to table a notice of motion on a law to provide for free sanitary pads as part of efforts to end period poverty, the Senate revealed.
Fellow Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda raised the issue on the House floor on a point of order, asking Speaker Amason Kingi for guidance on the dress code.
Senator Tabitha however claimed that Orwoba was faking the mess, a move she termed indecent especially from a leader.
“I stand seeking guidance on the Speaker’s rule number 5 in regards to the dress code, and I need to seek advice if Senator Gloria is appropriately dressed for the House,” she said.
“As a woman and a Senator, I find it very uncomfortable, very inappropriate, for our colleague Senator Gloria to step in and you don’t understand if she’s on the normal woman cycle or it is faking it, and it is so indecent. It disturbs me, as a woman, on what we indicate out there to our younger generation that looks upon us on how we dress, as leaders, in this House. There is a better way to bring this out.”
“What picture are we portraying?” Mutinda posed.
Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina, Kilifi’s Stewart Madzayo and Kitui’s Enock Wambua blasted Orwoba for publicly exposing herself instead of handling the situation in a respectful and a dignified manner.
“What Senator Gloria has done to this House today is disgrace and a lot of shame. This should not have happened and must not be allowed to ever happen whatever the reason, whatever the cause,” Senator Wambua said.
His sentiments were echoed by Kina.
“If senator Gloria was being honest of which she is not in this case and as a mature person she would have gone to the bathroom and covered herself,” the Narok Senator said.
“Even the other female Senators would have given her something to wear but they know that she is picketing.”
Madzayo who doubles up as Senate Minority Leader argued that although it was natural for women to go through menstruation, it should be a private affair.
He took issue with the manner in which Senator Orwoba publicized her “menstrual cycle”.
“We all know how the cycle works, we have wives and daughters, but they are not allowed to make this public,” he said.
Senator Orwoba, for her part, slammed her colleagues who had criticised her, stating that what she was going through was a natural exercise for all women that should not be shamed.
She went on to accuse her colleagues of subjecting her to “period stigma,” which she claims affects a large number of young women in the country.
“I think I’m dressed as per the standing orders; I’m covered, I have a suit, I have collars, I’m just short of a tie. I’m disappointed because the point of order that is being raised to try and attack an accident that is natural…I have stained my clothes…I just want to know, while we’re discussing this issue that is not even in the Order Paper, is it because Senators are not women who have periods? Because then maybe I shouldn’t be in this House,” she stated.
“This is the period stigma that is making our girls kill themselves, we have a girl who killed herself because of the same issue that I’m going through, and now I understand because it is the women who are trying to make this a crime. Because maybe it’s Valentine’s Day? Because maybe on Valentine’s Day we’re not supposed to have our periods? I’m shocked that someone can stand here and say that the House has been disgraced, because a woman has had her period?”
