High Court Dismisses Gloria Orwoba’s Petition, Urges Use of Party Tribunal First

Nairobi, August 14, 2025 — The High Court has dismissed nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba’s challenge to her ouster from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Justice Lawrence Mugambi ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction, faulting her for engaging in “forum shopping” by filing simultaneous proceedings in both the High Court and the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).

Key Findings in the Ruling

• Justice Mugambi emphasised that Orwoba did not exhaust internal party mechanisms, which is required under Section 39 of the Political Parties Act.

• He described the legal approach as a procedural misstep and an abuse of court process, as she pursued identical disputes in multiple forums concurrently.

• The judge also dismissed her allegations that the UDA Disciplinary Committee violated a court-issued conservatory order from May 15, stating there was insufficient evidence of contempt.

• The case was struck out, and costs were awarded to UDA.

What’s Next for Orwoba

With the High Court clearly instructing her to exhaust remedies through the PPDT before returning to court, Orwoba’s path now lies through the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal for the resolution of her dispute.

Summary Table

Justice Mugambi’s ruling reinforces the importance of respecting established party dispute resolution frameworks and positions the tribunal as the primary venue for such internal disagreements.