Orwoba accuses Parliament of stalling people-centered bills to serve executive 'interests'

Former Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has accused parliamentary leadership of deliberately stalling people-focused legislation, claiming that key proposals such as the Sanitary Towels Bill, 2024, have been slowed down by systemic obstruction within Parliament of Kenya.

Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Monday, Orwoba said both the National Assembly of Kenya and the Senate of Kenya are no longer operating independently, alleging that external influence is shaping which bills move forward and which are left to stall.

“It is not that the legislators are not doing anything… those in charge of pushing out the business of both houses… have decided that they’re just going to be an annex of State House,” she said.

She cited her Sanitary Towels Bill, 2024, as a clear example of delays within the system, noting that the proposal aims to address period poverty by ensuring free access to menstrual hygiene products in public institutions such as schools, prisons, and colleges.

The bill also seeks to shift control of funds from the national level to grassroots structures, allowing communities to decide on suitable products, including reusable options.

“I had the sanitary pads bill that was dragged out for over a year just to get to the third reading. Why?” she posed.

According to Orwoba, many private members’ bills that focus on public welfare face a similar fate, either failing to appear on the order paper or being delayed for long periods without clear reasons.

“…many impactful private members’ bills either never make it to the order paper, or when they make it… they are dragged out,” she said.

She linked the delays to what she described as a wider pattern where parliamentary leadership prioritizes the interests of the executive over those of the public.

“When you hear people saying that Parliament has been captured, they are right,” she said, adding that some leaders only advance “the business of the President.”

Orwoba also spoke about growing frustration among lawmakers, saying the situation has led some to disengage from active legislative work.

“Some have resorted to just basically clocking in… not out of laziness… but out of frustration,” she said.

She stressed that her proposed law is not about introducing new taxes but about improving access and accountability in the fight against period poverty.

“What we are talking about is decentralizing the money… so that decisions are not made in Nairobi,” she explained.

At the same time, Orwoba dismissed claims that she backed the Finance Bill 2024, maintaining that she opposed measures that could raise the cost of menstrual hygiene products.

“I never supported the Finance Bill 2024 at all… I have been forefront in ensuring that we end period poverty,” she said.

She also raised concerns about procurement practices, claiming that government suppliers continue to import sanitary products despite the presence of local manufacturers.

“All of them went to China… with an argument that there’s no local manufacturer,” she said, adding that she had previously provided a list of local producers.