GLORIA ORWOBA VOWS TO APPEAL SH10.5M DEFAMATION RULING

Former nominated senator Gloria Orwoba has vowed to appeal a court ruling that ordered her to pay KSh 10.5 million in defamation damages to Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye. The court found Orwoba liable for publishing unsubstantiated claims of sexual harassment on social media.
Delivering a video response following the verdict, Orwoba maintained that her allegations were based on personal experience and official complaints she submitted to Senate leadership and the Parliamentary Service Commission, which she said were ignored.
“My claims are still on the table,” Orwoba stated. “The harassment happened. Instead of investigating, I was excluded from parliamentary duties and vilified for speaking out.”
She claimed her rejection of advances led to retaliation, including being blocked from travel and delayed in pushing legislative bills. Orwoba also criticized the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), accusing party leadership of shielding powerful individuals in Parliament and suppressing whistleblowers.
The Milimani Commercial Court, presided over by Magistrate Ruguru Ngotho, ruled that Orwoba's social media posts were defamatory and not protected under parliamentary privilege. The court awarded Nyegenye KSh 8 million in general damages and KSh 2.5 million in aggravated damages. Orwoba was also ordered to issue a public apology within 30 days or face an additional KSh 1 million penalty.
An injunction was issued barring Orwoba and her associates from publishing any further defamatory statements against Nyegenye.
Despite the ruling, Orwoba remained defiant, accusing the court of silencing survivors of sexual harassment and promising to continue fighting for justice.
“I will not be intimidated. This is bigger than me—it’s about institutional silence and power imbalance,” she said.
The former senator confirmed that her legal team had begun preparing an appeal, emphasizing that the court’s decision would not deter her advocacy for women's rights within political institutions.