Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba was kicked out of a Senate Plenary session on Tuesday for wearing white trousers that were however seemingly spotting a pink stain.
The matter was raised on the floor of the House on a point of order by fellow Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda, who sought directions from Speaker Amason Kingi on the dress code.
Senator Mutinda described Orwoba’s dressing as “inappropriate” and “indecent”, going ahead to even assert that she was disturbed as a fellow woman.
“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.”
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua and his Narok counterpart Ledama ole Kina agreed with Ms Mutinda’s sentiments, opining that Ms. Orwoba should – at the very least – have covered herself after noticing that she was on her period, as she alleged.
“We have wives and daughters, and they go through these cycles, but it’s a matter to be managed personally without exposing it to other people. What Senator Gloria has done to this House is a disgrace, it is a lot of shame to this House. This must not be allowed to happen,” said Wambua.
Senator ole Kina went as far as to allege that Ms Orwoba was not actually on her menstrual cycle, but was presumably just putting on a show to put across a point.
While likening Ms Orwoba’s antics to “picketing,” ole Kina urged the Senator to bring to the floor of the House her agenda formally as a motion to be discussed and passed or rejected.
“It is quite evident that the distinguished Senator is picketing. She’s not on her menstrual cycle, it is quite clear that what she’s trying to share with the rest of the world is that she’s picketing,” he said.
“We see this thing on social media and TikTok, we’re not blind or stupid. If a mature person realizes that they’re going through something which is, culturally, taboo to be discussed, she would’ve gone to the bathroom, covered herself, and even the other distinguished Senators who are from the female gender here would’ve given her something to wear.”
Senator Orwoba, on her part, slammed her colleagues who had criticised her noting that what she was undergoing was a natural exercise for all women that one should not be ashamed about.
She went ahead to accuse her fellow Senators of subjecting her to “period stigma,” which she says affects many 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?”
Orwoba was however not permanently ejected from the Senate Plenary session, as Speaker Kingi merely asked her to leave the chambers to go and change her outfit and then return in one that was not stained.
