Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has accused Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba of threatening him and spreading misinformation about the government’s overseas job program, escalating a war of words over alleged labour scams.
In a letter addressed to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Mutua urged the Senate to grant him an opportunity to clarify what he called “falsehoods” perpetuated by Orwoba concerning Kenya’s labour mobility initiative.
The program, which seeks to facilitate employment for Kenyans abroad, has come under scrutiny following allegations of fraud and exploitation.
“Her claim that she has a list of 1,000 people who took loans from the Youth Fund and have not traveled is FALSE,” Mutua wrote, challenging the Senator to provide verifiable evidence. “Let her table the names and the so-called agent who allegedly vanished.”
Mutua further accused Orwoba of intimidating recruitment agencies and coercing them to prioritize individuals from Bobasi Constituency for non-existent jobs.
According to the CS, Orwoba submitted a list of 600 names to one agency and later issued threats when asked to cease interference.
“Senator Gloria Orwoba also threatened me when I told her to stop harassing my officers,” Mutua alleged. “She told me, ‘Kasongo is going down and I will not go down with him,’ referring to H.E. the President.”
He said the statement was made during a phone call on speaker, in the presence of another Cabinet Secretary.
Mutua also accused the Senator of coaching youth to appear in media interviews with fabricated claims, financing them with transport and accommodation allowances. He cited this as a breach of the Leadership and Integrity Act, calling her unfit for public office.
Orwoba had earlier raised alarms during a Senate committee meeting, questioning the government’s push to send Kenyans to Iraq despite ongoing rescue efforts from the region. “We’re playing with Kenyans’ lives,” she told the Labour Committee.
The Senate has yet to respond to Mutua’s request to address the allegations formally.