By Anderson Ojwang
Siaya is setting a precedent and a new political dispensation in the post-Raila Amolo Odinga era, with Governor James Orengo’s people’s cabinet getting a nod from the county assembly.
In the new dispensation, Orengo discarded an early power arrangement which was brokered by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Raila, Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga, and MPs from the county.
In the power arrangement, the MPs and elected leaders seconded their allies for appointments as either county executive committee members (CECs) or chief officers.
With the death of Raila and a fallout in ODM over power struggle, Orengo, together with Secretary General Edwin Sifuna among others, formed the Linda Mwananchi wing, while the new party leader Oburu leads the Linda Ground faction.
Orengo recently claimed he had ousted Oburu as the party leader after he failed to lead the party and was now the people’s party leader.
The former CECs allied to MPs Sam Atandi (Alego), Otiende Amolo (Rarieda), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), among others, were sacked and replaced by Orengo’s allies.
On Wednesday, the assembly approved the appointments of the CECs and the chief officers, marking a new political era not only in Siaya but also in Nyanza.
“Having conducted the approval hearing for the nominees pursuant to Section 8(1)(a) of the County Government Act 2012 and Section 7 of the Public Appointments Act 2017, the committee recommends that this house, and quote Siaya County Assembly, approve the nomination of the following: Joseph Rading as the CEC for Governance and Administration; Willis Okoth as the CEC for Agriculture, Irrigation, Food, Livestock and Fisheries; Christine Jenifer Akinyi for Trade, Cooperatives, Industrialization; Ochogo Nicholas Kut for CEC Tourism, Culture, Sports and Arts,” read the statement from the Assembly.
The statement read additionally that the committee recommended the approval of Adhola Neto Augustine as CEC for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development; and Erick J. Abungu Odawa as CEC for Public Works, Roads, Energy and Transport respectively.
“In addition to these, the committee also approved the appointment of the following chief officers: Wilfred Nyagudi as chief officer for Tourism, Maurine Owuor as chief officer for ICT, Walter Okelo for Governance Administration, Jared Abayo for Environment, and Joseph Mboha for Lands,” it read.
The Speaker, George Okode, called on the Governor to formally appoint the nominees into the approved positions.
“However, the house recalled the nominations of two CEC nominees by Governor James Orengo, requesting the Governor to consider re-appointing or forwarding two different names for consideration within 14 days,” Okode said.
The appointment excludes allies of the Linda Ground faction and gives a fresh start to the Linda Mwananchi wing, which now calls the shots in the county.
This marks the beginning of the battle between Oburu and Orengo, not only over Siaya but also the party, and this is likely to be key in the 2027 general elections.
Orengo’s new cabinet appointments mirror a new dispensation to enhance his grip on Siaya County politics and weed out the allies of ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga and the MPs from the county who are allied to Linda Ground.
Orengo’s new-look cabinet is more of a Linda Mwananchi one, composed of some politicians who were allegedly rigged out in the ODM primaries in various seats.
Politics of checkmates
For Atandi, the appointment of Kut is meant to keep him busy and he is likely to be the main challenger in the 2027 general elections.
Kut is not a political pushover in Alego politics, and his appointment will take Atandi back to the drawing board ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo, the situation is now complex after the residents asked former cabinet minister Raphael Tuju to return and reclaim the seat.
Similarly, Adhola has been the main political opponent to Otiende, and his appointment as a cabinet member is another nightmare.
The end of the Oburu–Raila dominance
For decades, Siaya has been the political heartland of the Odinga family, a region where loyalty to Raila Odinga and Dr Oburu Oginga defined both politics and power. County appointments, contracts, and alignments flowed through that network.
But Orengo’s recent moves have disrupted that tradition. The governor is now perceived as building his own power base, one that no longer depends on approval from the Odinga inner circle.
“This is the first real political separation from the Odinga family’s hold in Siaya,” observed a county insider. “Orengo is carefully dismantling the old order while presenting it as routine governance.”
While the governor remains outwardly respectful of Raila, his decisions, from senior staff changes to his anticipated CEC reshuffle, are seen as part of a broader political succession project in which Orengo is positioning himself as the next dominant voice in Luo Nyanza politics.
A new power structure emerging
What is unfolding in Siaya is more than a routine political shake-up; it is a strategic repositioning of Orengo’s leadership ahead of 2027.
By neutralizing pro-Ruto voices and asserting authority over ODM’s county operations, Orengo is redefining Siaya’s political centre from one dominated by Raila and Oburu to one revolving around himself.
He is said to be building a network of loyalists across key departments, sub-counties, and ward-level structures – a new political army that will anchor his influence both within and beyond ODM.
The strategy, insiders say, is to control both the county executive and grassroots political machinery, ensuring that any future political negotiation in Nyanza, especially in a post-Raila era, must pass through Orengo.
The larger ODM picture
Within ODM, Orengo’s moves are being interpreted in two ways. His supporters describe him as a reformer modernizing politics, giving the county independence from personality-driven politics. His critics, however, see a calculated centralization of power, meant to sideline historical allies and elevate loyalists under the guise of administrative renewal.
Yet one thing is certain: Siaya is no longer politically monolithic. The once-unquestioned ODM fortress is now a terrain of subtle power plays, emerging factions, and realignment towards national relevance.
Governor Orengo’s current moves have little to do with performance and everything to do with political control.
By reconstituting his cabinet and administration, he is sending a clear message that the age of indirect rule through political elders is over.
In the process, Siaya is becoming a microcosm of Kenya’s evolving political realignment, where loyalty to personalities is giving way to pragmatic power-building.
