GLORIA ORWOBA DENIES SUPPORTING FINANCE BILL, STORMS OUT OF RADIO INTERVIEW

Former senator Gloria Orwoba walked out of a Monday interview on Radio Generation after a heated exchange with host Hanifa Adan, during which she denied ever supporting the controversial Finance Bill that triggered deadly Gen Z protests in June 2024.

Orwoba clarified that her support was for the Division of Revenue Bill which allocates funds to counties and not the National Assembly’s tax-hike Finance Bill that sparked nationwide unrest.

The interview took a sharp turn when the discussion shifted to blogger Edgar Wabwire, who was briefly arrested after posting Orwoba’s phone number online amid the June 2024 protests. The former senator’s connection to the incident became a flashpoint, with tensions escalating until she decided to walk out.

Shortly before leaving, Orwoba told the host, “I have pushed that narrative for years. If you are going to sit and interview someone, you better be true to your word.” Orwoba proceeded to demand an apology from Hanifa over what she perceived as misrepresentation. The host refused. “I am not giving you an apology because I have not slandered you anywhere,” Hanifa responded.

The incident has reignited online debate, with social media users resurfacing clips of Orwoba attending pro-government events and calling for accountability on X (formerly Twitter). 

Critics accuse her of hypocrisy even as she insists that official records support her position. The senator has since demanded apologies for what she calls past mislabeling.

The June 2024 Finance Bill proposed tax hikes that sparked widespread protests led largely by Gen Z Kenyans. The bill was later withdrawn following public outcry and deadly confrontations between protesters and law enforcement.