Former nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has declared she will not relinquish her Senate seat, even after her party appointed Consolata Nabwire Wakwabubi as her replacement.

Speaking on a local radio station on Thursday, August 21, 2025, Orwoba insisted that she earned her nomination through sacrifice and hard work, not political favors.

“I am going to the Senate because I am the nominated senator. I know she might, Consolata Nabwire, also believe that she is nominated, that’s good for her. To each their own; chart your path,” Orwoba said.

She argued that her fight was not about clinging to a political party but against injustice and defending the democratic process.

“People are asking why I am fighting to stay in a party that doesn’t even want me. It’s not about the party. You have to fight to stop impunity and injustices. It’s about having a government that works. We voted for you, Mr. President. We can’t just wake up and remove you; it has to be done legally, either through the ballot or impeachment,” she added.

Orwoba recalled the personal sacrifices she made in her political journey, particularly during her support for President William Ruto.

“When you wrote the nomination list, you saw I was worthy. He didn’t give me this position, I earned it and worked hard for it. I got arrested and detained many times by the government simply for being associated with Ruto. I earned this position just as Ruto earned his. It was like a race. I ran and I won. I worked the hardest, I earned it, and I took the hit,” Orwoba stated.

Her remarks came a day after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal quashed the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party’s decision to expel her.

In its Wednesday, August 20 ruling, the tribunal cited procedural lapses and irregularities in UDA’s disciplinary process and directed the party to reverse its decision.

The ruling effectively restored Orwoba’s position in the Senate – at least on paper – creating a legal and political standoff.

Despite the tribunal’s ruling, Consolata Nabwire Wakwabubi has already been sworn in. On Wednesday, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi presided over the ceremony where Nabwire officially took her oath of office.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had earlier gazetted Nabwire as Orwoba’s replacement on August 15, 2025.

The current stand has thrown the Senate into new waters, with two individuals claiming the same seat. Orwoba insists she will continue attending sessions as the legally recognized senator, while Nabwire has already assumed the seat with the IEBC’s and the leadership of the Senate’s endorsement.

The matter now threatens to spiral into a full-blown constitutional and political showdown, the result of which is very likely to be decided by the courts.