Senator Gloria Orwoba is a Kenyan politician who has been a nominated Senator in the Senate for women since 2022.
She is also a co-founder of the ‘Uji Ya Glo Nutrition Programme,’ which has delivered a cup of porridge and two slices of bread to students in 13 elementary schools in Kisii county’s Bobasi constituency for many years.
Jambo Daily dives into this exceptional woman’s life and career:
A humble beginning
Senator Gloria Orwoba was born in Nairobi in 1986. She was raised in Nairobi by a single parent but spent most of her vacations in her paternal home in Kisii.
Her academic career began at State House Primary School, where she excelled at lawn tennis.
She eventually attended St George’s School for Girls in Kilimani, where she participated in the drama club and took up swimming.
According to her, she wore makeup on her first day of first grade. “Hii make up watu wananisumbua nayo kwa mtandao,” she explained to The Standard.
Gloria went on to Nairobi University after finishing her KCSE to pursue a diploma in architecture and, eventually, a degree in social work.
She told The Standard in an interview that she acquired her first car when she was 19 years old. Her family had never owned a car, therefore she had always wanted one.
Senator Gloria Orwoba Controversy
Earlier this year, the senator made news when she was removed from the Senate chambers for wearing white blood-stained trousers while arguing for free sanitary pads for schoolgirls and women in prison.
Her brave gesture drew a lot of criticism and praise on social media, with some denouncing and others praising her equally.
She discussed quitting Twitter in an interview with Hot 96, citing the criticism and cyberbullying.
She gradually received a six-month ban for baseless accusations of corruption and sexual harassment in the parliament buildings.
One of the utterances that got her in trouble was that she had never slept with or bribed any staff members and was thus being discriminated against when it came to traveling on excursions and receiving services from specific offices.
The parliamentary powers and privileges committee took her comments seriously and accused her of implying that some members were exchanging sexual services and bribes in order to acquire certain benefits.