Written by Joyce Nzomo
Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has suffered yet another legal setback after the High Court dismissed her petition challenging her expulsion from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Justice Lawrence Mugambi on Wednesday, August 13, ruled that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter while a parallel dispute on the same issues was still pending before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT). He said it would amount to an abuse of court process for Orwoba to run two cases on the same dispute in different forums.
“The petitioner must first exhaust the mechanisms provided under the Political Parties Act. Since the PPDT is already seized of this matter, this court cannot entertain concurrent proceedings,” Justice Mugambi declared.
Orwoba had sought to have her removal declared illegal, accusing UDA’s disciplinary committee of acting in contempt of earlier court orders and violating her right to fair administrative action. But the judge found she had not produced convincing evidence to prove contempt or procedural breaches.
As a result, the petition was struck out and costs awarded to UDA a decision that forces Orwoba to continue her fight at the PPDT before returning to court.The ruling marks the second time in three months that Orwoba’s attempt to stop her expulsion has collapsed.
In May, the High Court dismissed an earlier application as “incompetent” over procedural errors, even after she briefly secured orders halting UDA’s disciplinary process. Her seat was later declared vacant by the Senate on May 21, though a short-lived court order temporarily paused her removal.
With the latest decision, Orwoba’s political survival now rests on the outcome of the
tribunal proceedings.
