By Anderson Ojwang
The dice is cast and now its an all open war that targets Siaya Governor James Orengo over his opposition to President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga political pact.
Today, an amorphous outfit cobbled and brought together UDA and ODM members calling themselves Ramogi Professional Caucus, held a press conference in Nairobi to chastise Orengo over his last weekend statement about broad-based government at the burial of Raila’s aide, George Oduor.
The team that was coordinated and had close contact with one of Raila’s top aides, at a Nairobi hotel, condemned Orengo and asked him to stop interfering with the close political relationship between Ruto and Raila.
In our earlier post, we revealed that Orengo, who was one of those in Raila’s inner circle, has been displaced by Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi.
Wandayi has assumed the role and is currently Raila’s and his elder brother, Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga, new kid on the block.
Wandayi is seen as a possible heir apparent to Raila’s throne and probably a suitable candidate to take over from Orengo in the 2027 gubernatorial elections.
In the press statement, they wrote, “We are here to correct misconceptions created by Siaya Governor James Orengo during the burial of Mr. George Oduor, the long-serving bodyguard to Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, in Siaya on 10th April 2025.
We are concerned that the words uttered by Mr. Orengo sent the wrong message that the Luo Community is at war or is preparing to be at war with the government.
Orengo’s outburst further created the very false impression that the Luo Nation does not approve of the coming together of President William Ruto and Rt Hon Raila Odinga to form the inclusive Broad-Based Government that is seeking to bring all Kenyans to the table.
Orengo further created the impression that the Luo Nation does not appreciate the good that has accrued from the relationship between Raila Odinga and President Ruto and that the Luo Nation will bolt out of the deal with the President at some stage.
Most unfortunate and painful, Orengo created the impression that it is him and only him, fighting for the interests of the Luo nation, all other leaders, including Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, being branded as sell-outs and praise singers, quite unfortunate indeed.
We are here, first and foremost, to state that James Orengo was absolutely wrong and out of order in his outbursts. Surely, what kind of a leader begins a confrontation with a man, in this case, the President of the country, who has only come to help you bury your son?
We are here to make it clear that Orengo was not speaking and does not ever speak for the Luo nation. The position of the Luo Nation with regard to the broad-based government is the one that Hon Raila Odinga stated by signing an agreement with the president in broad daylight. We support that agreement fully and without apologies.
The views Orengo expressed were his own; they embarrassed the Luo community and they were driven by nothing other than jealousy and fear for his own future.
Orengo is jealous that Opiyo Wandayi and John Mbadi are Cabinet Secretaries.
He is jealous that a young Ouma Oluga is the Principal Secretary. Orengo is finding it difficult that Samuel Atandi is chairman of the Budget Committee of the National Assembly. Orengo cannot believe that young leaders are rising in his own lifetime.
Orengo is jealous that Raila Odinga and President William Ruto are sitting and consulting on the future of the nation and the Luo nation without him. Orengo is pained that the Luo nation is deciding its future without him. Yet these are realities, and we will not allow Orengo to derail them. The outburst last Saturday was meant to cause maximum embarrassment to Rt. Hon. Odinga and President Ruto. We are glad they took it in their stride.
We are here to tell Orengo that we are sorry but the Luo nation has decided to change course, the Luo Nation feels it has to embrace President Ruto because he shown good faith, the Luo Nation feels they don’t have to consult Orengo and the Luo Nation feel Raila and Ruto are right in coming together.
We are here to tell Orengo to keep Edwin Sifuna and George Wajackoya out of affairs of the Luo community. We are aware that Orengo provided transport for Wajackoya to the event and gave him talking notes for the event.
We warn the likes of Wajackoya and Sifuna that we will not allow them to use Luo land as their launch pad for wars against the government. Sifuna and Wajackoya never confront Ruto in western Kenya. They confront him in Nyanza courtesy of Orengo and a few other leaders who sitting on the fence. That must end.
We demand that Orengo stop playing politics with the lives of Luos while the people suffer from poverty and massive unemployment.
We are here to assure President William Ruto and Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, that as professionals, we approve their pact without any reservations whatsoever because it has stabilised the nation, conferred tangible benefits on the community, brought all communities to the table and seems poised to correct the many wrongs that many communities have suffered under past regimes.
We are here to tell Governor Orengo that his mandate is Siaya, not Luo land or Kenya. Unfortunately, Orengo has failed in Siaya, even as he shouts himself hoarse lecturing leaders outside his mandate. So we urge Orengo to focus on Siaya County or resign and find his path to the national government.
Alternatively, the county assembly of Siaya would serve the county right by impeaching Orengo to allow him to focus on activism while a different person serves the people of Siaya as governor.
We have an appeal to all our leaders. The Luo Nation is at a critical juncture. After 60 years of State-sanctioned marginalisation, a president has extended an olive branch and a hand of friendship, which our leader, Rt. Hon Raila Odinga has accepted. Do we stand with Raila and Ruto or do we stand with activists like Orengo who want to separate the two leaders and return the community to the wilderness? We challenge our leaders to make their stand known. This is not a time for sitting on the fence or blowing hot and cold. We want to see leadership.
Finally, we demand that Orengo apologizes to the Luo nation, to Rt Hon Raila Odinga and to President Ruto about his unfortunate remarks and conduct at Ramba Secondary School last Saturday. We are here to tell Orengo that we view his approach to politics as archaic and an impediment to the progress of the Luo Nation.”
The team was chaired by Kisumu based lawyer and UDA activist Joshua Nyamori wants Orengo to apologize to Raila and stop antagonizing the Luo community with the Government.
Orengo said he cannot sing of song praise for the government and that it was a right for the people of Siaya to receive development from the government.
“What I am trying to say is that let build a society, that is built on the constitution and the rule of law. We can say many things but for me, I cannot be praise singing.
Because, we fought for a democratic constitution, where people should talk. I was in Parliament when people used to tell President Daniel Arap Moi that, there is no where you will go and that you will be in power until the day you want to go
They told Moi then and I was a member of parliament that time. There were only a few of us who said we cannot have this system of government and Raila was the head at that time, when Jaramogi had died, that we do not want that system of government.
So I am asking you Kenyans, this constitution that we fought for, it is a very difficult document to keep and if we keep on song praising every time, we will not have a country. So I urge you ,tell your leaders the truth.
Mr. President, when you came here for the first time, I was the only one who was here to receive you.
I was here because, I was convinced that institutions must work. Even Rarieda MP Paul Otiende Amollo who is here said then said he cannot come. I tried to persuade him but failed. I was here alone with you. Because, I don’t song praise, I believed you are the president and we are going to talk.
So this country will go to the dogs again, if the kind of language I am hearing here today continue.
When you have something to be brought to Siaya, it is a matter of our right, it is not like you are being given, it’s a matter of right
I cried when I was in parliament with John Okwanyo, Odongo Omamo, among others, and I was the only backbencher. They used to tell me that I should be in the government. But I told them all must not be in the government,” he said.
