Senator's shocking revelations rock Kenya's parliament

Sometime in 2018, Benson Masubo alias Wazir Chacha caused a storm in Parliament when nude photos of him with some female MPs surfaced online. The then 24-year-old was alleged to have had clandestine affairs with 13 waheshimiwas but he admitted to only three while accusing political detractors of the expose.

“I did not force them in whatever way to have an affair with me. Before I started dating them, they had confirmed they were not married but single and ready for an affair,” he told a local daily terming the MPs mature and understanding unlike “slay queens.”

But if Kenyans thought that was odd enough, it appears more was in store for them. In an explosive twist, the hallowed halls of Parliament are reverberating after Senator Gloria Orwoba made shocking claims of sexual impropriety and corruption among her colleagues.

A Parliamentary Privileges Committee report revealed WhatsAsap messages in a Senate group by Senator Orwoba, who pledged to have taken a fearless stand against the underbelly of power dynamics, vowing to never exchange sexual favours for parliamentary privileges.

"I am not sleeping with staff members or slipping kickbacks under doors for fancy trips and perks," Orwoba boldly declared in a jaw-dropping WhatsApp message shared with fellow lawmakers.

The statement sent shockwaves through parliamentary corridors, exposing a shadowy world of backroom deals and secret deals.

But that's not all; Senator Orwoba's explosive revelations have landed her in hot water, and she is now facing a suspension from the Senate until early next year. Speaker Amason Kingi, who chairs the Privileges Committee, confirmed the suspension, arguing that she can't substantiate her claims.

Gross misconduct

Kingi termed the allegations as gross misconduct.

"That the Senator on diverse dates made unsubstantiated allegations that there was discrimination in Parliament by posting various messages at the Senate Business WhatsApp groups and made allegations during a media briefing held in the media centre main Parliament building," the committee said.

Committee members, including Alexander Munyi, Wamatinga Wahome, David Wafula, James Ekomwa and Shakila Abdalla accused Senator Orwoba of failing to substantiate her claims and exhibiting behaviour deemed disrespectful to fellow members.

Senator Esther Okenyuri recused herself from the proceedings to uphold fairness in the hearing, adding an unexpected twist to the parliamentary controversy.

"Senator Gloria Orwoba, MP, on diverse dates, made unsubstantiated allegations that there was discrimination in Parliament by posting various messages on the Senate," the findings of the committee read in part.

The report now to be tabled before Parliament, Senator Orwoba held nothing back, revealing a web of intrigue and alleged corruption within Parliament's hallowed walls. She accused high-ranking officials of surreptitiously operating an office in her name without her knowledge and orchestrating a series of events that obstructed her legislative efforts.

"I refuse to be a pawn in their power games," Senator Orwoba proclaimed. "I'm here to fight for the voiceless, and I won't compromise my principles for personal gain."

Senator Orwoba's sensational claims extend to Parliament's Clerk, Jeremiah Nyegenye, whom she accuses of manipulating office allocations.

"So, you can say in one way or another that the Senate has been captured by one office, by one state officer. You know, I can speak like this because in this particular situation, they have taken away everything from me, which is so bad. The good thing is that I have nothing to lose. That is why I have reached a point, and I am like, you know what, something has to be done, or at least some of these concerns have to be addressed," the report reads.

She also accused parliamentary staff of impersonating her in official documents.

Orwoba added that junior officers were working in fear of being victimised by the bosses at parliament.

The tenacious senator raised even more eyebrows as she embarked on a crusade against what she described as systemic corruption and intimidation within Parliament.

She alleged that she had been barred from local and foreign travel, impacting her ability to fulfil her duties as a legislator. Orwoba claimed that her requests for office space had been ignored, and she revealed that an office was established in her name without her knowledge or consent.

"Letters meant for the allocated office were intercepted and brought to me, seemingly part of an orchestrated effort to hide the situation. The keys to the office remain with Parliament. Mr. Sorobit's disrespectful attitude led me to leave, as his disability does not explain his behaviour," she said.

"I have intentionally stopped coming to your office because I just sense bad intent. What was so special about the other senator that I was with who ended up on the reimbursement? What was so bad about my request similar to hers that the Parliament staff were given instructions to forcefully allocate me an office in absentia and run it?" she said.

These startling revelations have ignited a fiery debate on accountability and transparency within the heart of Kenya's democracy.

"Owing to the fact that I am now aware of the rot in that system and that I have no intention of trading sexual favours or paying kickbacks as an honourable member of this Parliament, I rest this case," she said, adding, Just don't ask me why I am the way I am. Know that, in your space in Parliament, things don't operate as they do in my space as a vocal, fearless nominated female senator."

Undeterred by the obstacles placed before her, Senator Orwoba vowed to continue fighting for the rights of women and girls outside the confines of Parliament. She expressed frustration over what she saw as a lack of support from the very institution she had sworn to serve. Orwoba embarked on a mission to expose the alleged misconduct and manipulation she witnessed within the corridors of power.

"I am not talking about money because most of the places that I have been invited to either give my legislative agenda or speak on what the Government of Kenya is doing on certain legislative issues are facilitated by whoever is inviting me. But you find that even matters where Parliament is supposed to help you secure certain things such as visas and what, you get that there is even frustration in that," she said.

GENESIS OF SCAM 

Senator Orwoba found herself suspended after making a series of shocking accusations. In a WhatsApp group chat for senators, she claimed that she had not engaged in any illicit activities to gain preferential treatment and accused other members of questionable conduct. Her claims of sexual favours and kickbacks being exchanged within the hallowed halls of Parliament sent shockwaves through the political establishment.

"Speaker's Office, I have brought attention to all relevant issues, but what I am sensing is that there is a lot of fear in the quarters that needs to deal with this issue," she said.

While the Parliament Privileges Committee maintains that Senator Orwoba's allegations lack concrete evidence, her fervent stand has undoubtedly cast a spotlight on the inner workings of power.

"Jeremiah Nyegenye, the Senate Clerk, has actually impersonated me because when I reported that I do not have an office in Red Cross, he wrote an official letter saying that I have an office in Red Cross. I was wondering why is he forcing this office on me. That is an ongoing criminal matter now that is being investigated, but there are so many other issues," she said.