By Anderson Ojwang
Siaya Governor James Orengo has claimed that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) did not sanction top party officials joining the government.
Orengo, in an interview, said the deputy party leaders Hassan Joho and Wycliff Oparanya, National Chairman John Mbadi and Director of Political Affairs Opiyo Wandayi joined President William Ruto’s cabinet in their own volition.
Orengo said the party leader, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, did not sanction the move and it was done behind his back.
Mbadi was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Treasury, Wandayi became the Energy Cabinet Secretary, Joho became Mining Cabinet Secretary while Oparanya was appointed to Cooperatives.
Orengo said there is no coalition agreement between ODM and UDA and no instrument has been formed for the two parties to engage in a coalition arrangement.
“Raila did not veto his top party officials to join the government. That was a personal decision and had no blessings of the party. ODM remains the opposition party,” he said.
ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga has maintained that he was the brain behind the formation of the broad-based government and chaired the meeting between President Ruto and Raila.
Dr Oburu revealed that the meeting which culminated in the appointments of ODM experts into President Ruto’s cabinet was chaired by him.
He negotiated for the cabinet slots and the 14 Permanent Secretaries slots.
“I have been the chairman of the meetings including the one which appointed Opiyo Wandayi, John Mbadi, Hassan Joho to the cabinet.
I want to tell you that we have currently 14 Permanent Secretaries in this government and directors. We got into this government by accident because the government was shaken by Gen Z,” he said.
He said the broad-based government was his pet baby and was meant to unite the country and has brought development in the country.
“Those who are saying Oburu does not talk are talking nonsense. In this broad-based arrangement, I want to assure those who are saying that it was only Raila who could handle it and that Oburu does not know anything about it.
I want to tell them that all the meetings of the broad-based arrangements with Ruto, the chairman has been Oburu Odinga before you here today,” he said.
Recently, Suba South MP Caroli Omondi sensationally claimed that Raila was betrayed while in Dubai over the formation of the broad-based government.
Caroli, in a recent TV interview, claimed that while Raila was in Dubai, some of his lieutenants joined the government without his blessings.
“Let me tell you, in the fullness of time, we will bring some things out that will surprise people. There are people who claim they are in the broad-based government because of Raila.
They went into the broad-based government against Raila’s wishes when he was in Dubai, when he directed that they should not join the broad-based arrangement. They know how they ended up there,” he said.
Caroli said Raila was infuriated and disappointed, and that when he returned to the country, he avoided some of those leaders.
“When Raila came back, he refused to even meet them at the airport. He got into the airside, got into his car, drove away and disappeared.
Raila issued a statement that they went in their personal capacity. People didn’t understand what Baba was saying,” he said.
Caroli said some of those leaders should not pretend and lie to the public that they were in good books with Raila before his death and should be honest about their relationship.
“Some of them, by the time Baba was dying, they were not on talking terms. When they are talking to us, they should know that we are not stupid. There is a way they should talk to us.
They should not talk to us with useless statements that we are in the broad-based government for development. I am asking them, yes, it is true, what development has been taken to Luo land under this broad-based arrangement under Sh50b, Sh50m cumulatively added by none other than the Chairman of Budget at the Assembly, Sam Atandi, while one hospital is being built in Uasin Gishu at Sh50b?” he said.
Caroli expressed concern that Raila’s pet project, the Sondu-Koin Dam valued at Sh25 billion, has stalled and nobody is following it up.
“Baba’s pet project was Sondu-Koin Dam, which is Sh25b. That is what he wanted the broad-based government to do, but it has not been done. Nobody is pursuing it.
We are being told about development while the contractor doing my roads has three pending certificates. The CS John Mbadi for Treasury is from my constituency. Why can’t they pay the bills so that the works can go on smoothly? You cannot take a whole community for a ride simply because of small handouts,” he said.
