Sakaja backs Gloria Orwoba after she was kicked out of Senate over ‘period stain’

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has come out to voice his support for Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba after she was on Tuesday temporarily kicked of a Senate plenary for wearing a stained attire.

Ms. Orwoba had attended the session in a seemingly pink-stained trouser, in a bid to raise awareness over what she termed as “period shame.”

Sakaja, in a tweet on Wednesday evening, termed the legislator’s move as “bold and provocative,” further vowing to borrow a leaf from her book and presumably ensure that girls across the city access sanitary pads.

“Senator Gloria Orwoba. That was bold and provocative. To change some things you must make people uncomfortable and you did! I’ll do my part in Nairobi for our girls,” wrote the city boss.

Senator Orwoba’s attire caused drama in the House after her fellow nominated counterpart Tabitha Mutinda raised the matter on the floor of the Senator, seeking directions from Speaker Amason Kingi on the dress code.

Senator Mutinda described Orwoba’s dressing as “inappropriate” and “indecent”, going ahead to even assert that she was disturbed as a fellow woman.

“I stand seeking guidance on the Speaker’s rule number 5 in regards to the dress code, and I need to seek advice if Senator Gloria is appropriately dressed for the House,” she said.

“As a woman and a Senator, I find it very uncomfortable, very inappropriate, for our colleague Senator Gloria to step in and you don’t understand if she’s on the normal woman cycle or it is faking it, and it is so indecent. It disturbs me, as a woman, on what we indicate out there to our younger generation that looks upon us on how we dress, as leaders, in this House. There is a better way to bring this out.”

Senator Orwoba, on her part, slammed her colleagues who had criticised her noting that what she was undergoing was a natural exercise for all women that one should not be shamed about.

She went ahead to accuse her fellow Senators of subjecting her to “period stigma,” which she says affects many a young women in the country.

“I think I’m dressed as per the standing orders; I’m covered, I have a suit, I have collars, I’m just short of a tie. I’m disappointed because the point of order that is being raised to try and attack an accident that is natural...I have stained my clothes...I just want to know, while we’re discussing this issue that is not even in the Order Paper, is it because Senators are not women who have periods? Because then maybe I shouldn’t be in this House,” she stated.

“This is the period stigma that is making our girls kill themselves, we have a girl who killed herself because of the same issue that I’m going through, and now I understand because it is the women who are trying to make this a crime. Because maybe it’s Valentine’s Day? Because maybe on Valentine’s Day we’re not supposed to have our periods? I’m shocked that someone can stand here and say that the House has been disgraced, because a woman has had her period?”