A middle-aged man has been charged before Mombasa Law Courts with allegedly trafficking in methamphetamine weighing 14,321 grams and valued at Sh114,568,000.
The drug is suspected to be part of a Sh8.2 billion haul allegedly recovered from six Iranians with a pending court case.
Martin Mugendi Gitonga, who appeared before Mombasa Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Gladys Olimo, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He was charged with conspiracy to traffic narcotic drugs contrary to Section 4(B)(4) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act No. 4 of 1994, as amended by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Amendment Act, 2022.
The accused allegedly committed the offence jointly with others before the court and others not before the court on diverse dates between November 21 and 24, 2025, within the Republic of Kenya.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Christine Mbevi told the court that a related case was pending before it and that the prosecution intended to consolidate the two matters.
Mbevi informed the court that the accused persons in the related matter had been released on a surety bond of Sh5 million or, in the alternative, a cash bail of Sh3 million, and urged the court to consider similar terms.
The accused, through his lawyer, pleaded with the court to consider releasing him on reasonable bond terms, arguing that he has no previous criminal records.
He added that he was willing to abide by the conditions given by the court, including not interfering with witnesses.
The defence also asked the prosecution to supply Gitonga with all documentary evidence it intends to rely on during the trial.
Magistrate Olimo granted Gitonga a bond of Sh2 million with two sureties, or an alternative cash bail of Sh2 million, with two contact persons.
The case will be mentioned on August 30, 2026.
The matter is related to a case involving the six Iranians: Nia Jasem Darzadeh, Jadgal Nadeem Abdulgani, Baloch Hassan, Baloch Imran Mustafa, Baksh Rahim Goharam, and Daryayi Imtiyaz.
The DPP has closed the prosecution’s case in the Iranian matter.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that the killing of Mt Elgon politician Nathan Masai Wasama was politically instigated.
Gachagua has demanded the immediate arrest of the key plotters behind the killing of Masai.
“Intelligence reports say Masai was killed for political reasons and that he had become so popular and was a threat to the political quo,” he said.
The detectives investigating the fatal shooting of businessman and former local politician Nathan Masai Wasama have arrested three suspects as efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding his killing intensify.
Wasama, 61, was shot dead on the night of August 8, 2026, at his shop in Tuikut Trading Centre, Sasur Location, Cheptais Sub-County, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The latest arrests were announced by the DCI on Wednesday, August 12, as detectives continued pursuing leads to establish the motive for the killing and identify all those involved.
Surrender
On Wednesday, two more suspects wanted in connection with the murder of Masai surrendered to the police.
Robert Kimutai Psisei, alias Robert Miti, surrendered at Cheptais Police Station. He was arrested, escorted, and booked at Sirisia Police Station.
Another suspect, Brian Chongin Kaos, surrendered at Chwele Police Station, where he was taken into custody.
The two suspects are among those in custody as detectives continue with investigations, with all suspects expected to be arraigned in court to face the law once investigations are complete.
How the shooting unfolded
Preliminary investigations indicate that four men arrived at the trading centre on two motorcycles before one of the pillion passengers alighted and walked into Wasama’s shop.
The suspect allegedly shot Wasama before fleeing the scene with the accomplices on the motorcycles.
A woman was also shot and injured during the incident. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she remains admitted in stable condition.
The killing has since triggered an intensive investigation, with detectives following leads believed to be helping them piece together the events before and after the shooting.
The first breakthrough came when detectives arrested Oscar Koech Sakong, who is among those suspected of being linked to the killing.
More arrests and weapons recovered
The investigation widened on August 11 when detectives, acting on a search warrant, raided a residence in Marigo Village, Cheptais Location.
The operation led to the arrest of two more suspects, identified as Wycliffe Chesubei Ngeiwa, alias Chota, and Geoffrey Makwere Masai.
Detectives also recovered several items during the operation, including a military-style smoke jacket, a stun grenade, three axes, a crowbar, three folding pangas, two pangas, two knives, and five arrows.
Three motorcycles, two mobile phones, and an iPod were also recovered.
The three suspects are currently in custody as detectives process them for arraignment and seek custodial orders to allow investigations to continue.
The arrests, however, have not brought the investigation to an end. Detectives are still pursuing additional suspects and working to establish the motive behind Wasama’s killing.
The DCI has cautioned members of the public against spreading unverified allegations that could prejudice the case, interfere with investigations, or threaten public safety.
Police have also appealed to anyone with credible information that could help identify or apprehend the remaining suspects to report to the authorities.
For investigators, the focus now shifts to connecting the suspects to the August 8 shooting, determining why Wasama was targeted, and establishing whether the items recovered during the operation were connected to the crime.
As the probe continues, the arrests provide detectives with their first major breakthrough in a killing that left a businessman and former local politician dead and another person nursing gunshot injuries.
Kenyans must learn to depoliticise national development plans to enable them to transcend regimes and stir transformational growth.
CEC Finance Kisumu and a member of the Beyond 2030 conversation, Mr George Omondi Okongo, said one of the lessons they learnt during the drafting was that countries that managed to realise transformation in a short period of time are those that managed to develop national development plans that transcend regimes.
“We must learn to depoliticise national development plans and look at them from a different lens. We cannot afford to look at all issues from a political lens,” he said.
Okongo, who spoke during a TV interview, said the document that the Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o-led team recently handed to President William Ruto was not Vision 2060 but a footpath to a national conversation on the country’s vision.
“The document that was presented to President Ruto did not have mention of Vision 2060, but it was left for broader discussion. The thing about this country is that you can get people discussing a very wrong thing because many people do not read but want to discuss,” he said.
He said the timing was right because Kenya is ever in a political mood all the time, and it would be detrimental to put aside the important conversation because the country is heading to the elections.
“The institutions and the people who will be in charge of the conversation must ensure it is depoliticised. How much time do you need to produce a long-term national vision development plan as a successor to Vision 2030?” he asked.
Separately, President Ruto said Kenya has made tremendous strides in many sectors under Vision 2030, launched in 2008 by President Mwai Kibaki.
“Across the country, we have witnessed the transformation of our infrastructure and the delivery of landmark projects, including the Lamu Port, the Isiolo-Moyale road, and the Nairobi Expressway, among others,” he said.
He said the achievements have expanded opportunity, strengthened connectivity, and laid a strong foundation for the nation’s future.
“As Vision 2030 approaches the end of its course, we gathered at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Convention Centre to begin an important national conversation: What comes next?” he said.
Ruto said that was not simply a question about another plan or another set of targets. It is an invitation to imagine, together, the Kenya we want to become not only in the next decade, but also deep into the future.
“The defining character of this new endeavour must be that it is citizen-led and people-centred. It must draw its ambition, ideas and aspirations from the people of Kenya,” he said.
He said the government will not prescribe this vision. Instead, it will only play a facilitative role, creating the space, platforms and institutions through which Kenyans can shape the future they desire.
“Our future must be designed through the collective imagination, wisdom and participation of the citizens – youth, entrepreneurs, farmers, workers, academia, civil society and religious groups, among others. We are grateful to the team of distinguished scholars, led by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and Prof Hiroyuki Hino, for laying the intellectual foundation for this important conversation,” he said.
Leadership transitions in Kenya are rarely gentle; they demand a calculated balance of fortitude, political wisdom, and long-term vision. As Nyanza navigates a defining political epoch, the trajectory of Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo offers a compelling study in resilience and divine preservation.
In Luo cultural tradition, the metaphor of “Bend Aburu” describes a force or pillar that yields to heavy winds without snapping, emerging intact when the storm subsides. Dr Omollo has increasingly embodied this resilience on the national stage. Rising through administrative ranks with quiet efficiency, he has established himself as a central figure in executive governance and regional development.
However, political prominence inevitably attracts political opportunism.
For Dr Omollo’s leadership to endure beyond current political cycles, a clear-eyed assessment of his surrounding ecosystem is essential. History in Kenyan politics repeats itself with painful regularity: short-term allies often smile for political convenience while preparing to dismantle rising leaders when strategic interests dictate. Relying on recycled political elites or transitional heirs—who have historically prioritised self-preservation over broader community interests—presents an existential risk to any long-term political project.
The imperative for Dr Omollo is clear: he must forge a distinct, self-sustaining political machinery.
Rather than leaning on inherited structures, the strategic objective must be the cultivation of a grounded, loyal grassroots network. Building strategic alignment with leaders across all tiers—from Governors to Members of County Assemblies—creates an enduring structure capable of weathering upcoming political realignments.
Nyanza requires strong, visionary representation capable of commanding respect at the national negotiation table. Avoiding the trap of political self-cannibalisation is not merely a personal imperative for Dr Omollo; it is a necessity for the region’s broader development agenda in the post-election landscape. The window to build, solidify, and lead is now open.
Kenya’s political space was thrown into a spanner-in-the-wheel moment by the weighty allegations by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua against President William Ruto over various issues affecting the country.
The country was thrown into momentary reactions and counter-reactions to defend and launch an offensive charm to contain the damage of the allegations.
Deaths
Gachagua touched on three nerve-wracking deaths in the country: former Prime Minister the late Raila Amolo Odinga, former Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla, and Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno.
In his address, Gachagua demanded that Kenyans be told under what conditions the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died in India.
Gachagua also wanted to know why the recommendations of Raila’s private doctor were ignored and why he was allegedly flown to India in a private jet.
“We want to know why there was no post-mortem conducted on Raila and why the burial was hurriedly undertaken against the culture and tradition of the Luo community,” he asked.
But ODM Minority Leader in the National Assembly, Junet Mohammed, dismissed Gachagua’s claims, terming them far-fetched.
Junet claimed that Gachagua was the one who plotted to assassinate Raila during the demonstrations and would arrive in his office in the morning to monitor Raila’s movements.
“Gachagua is the same man who said his disagreement with President William Ruto began when the President and Raila started engaging. The same man today wants to tell us about Raila,” he said.
CDF Ogolla
Gachagua also wanted President Ruto to explain the nature and circumstances under which CDF Ogolla died.
Junet said Gachagua was the same man who was opposed to the appointment of Ogolla as the CDF, claiming the deceased would have masterminded a coup against President Ruto.
“It is unfortunate that the same guy today has the audacity to tell Kenyans about General Ogolla. Shame has no name,” he said.
Gachagua also raised questions about the death of Ngeno and alleged possible sabotage through contaminated fuel transported from Lodwar, with which the ill-fated chopper could have been refuelled.
Inquest
Gachagua demanded the establishment of a public inquest into the deaths of the three leading Kenyans.
Minority Leader in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah accused Gachagua of being the ‘father’ of goons and having plotted the attack on the founding President the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s family farm in Ruiru.
“I have said this several times: that Gachagua was behind the goons who attacked Kenyatta’s farm in Ruiru. I sat with Gachagua in Harambee Annex when he plotted the attack. I challenge him to deny it,” he claimed.
Gachagua also claimed President Ruto had allegedly looted public coffers to become a dollar billionaire.
DCI reacts
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations also termed Gachagua’s allegations as baseless, ridiculous, and ill-intentioned.
“Those advancing the allegations should produce tangible evidence rather than peddle unverified claims calculated to undermine public confidence in law enforcement,” read the statement.
Wealth
During a press address on Tuesday, Gachagua claimed that President Ruto’s net worth, since taking office in 2022, has significantly shot up through what he termed as seeking sole control of key State assets.
The former Deputy President believes that President Ruto has created a one-stop shop for government institutions where he has been on a looting spree at the expense of the nation and its citizens.
“Over the last 4 years, William Ruto has captured the state. He has focused on centralising control of independent constitutional commissions, State entities, public sector procurement, and sale of strategic national assets. All these measures are aimed at achieving the objective of enriching himself at the expense of 55 million Kenyans,” he said.
“He has achieved the milestone of being certified as a US Dollar billionaire in a four-year record, courtesy of looting Kenyan public coffers.”
He claimed Ruto had reneged on the ambitious promises he made to Kenyans and has only achieved a loathsome scorecard marred with graft and impunity.
“This regime, on a borrowing spree, borrows an average of Ksh3.5 billion daily and steals Ksh3 billion daily. This government steals an average of Ksh125 million per hour, and Ksh2 million every minute from Kenyans,” he claimed.
“They promised to build 250,000 houses every year; however, four years later, Mr Ruto has fashioned this into a conduit to steal public land and be the sole supplier of construction materials.”
Failed projects
Gachagua faulted President Ruto for creating failed government development programmes like the Hustler Fund, Affordable Housing, and the Social Health Authority (SHA).
He added that his administration has failed in key sectors like education, health, and security, noting that his leadership has gone rogue and is rocked by incompetence.
On Tuesday, Gachagua’s gauntlet will definitely change the political terrain and trigger a cocktail of reactions and actions.
It is a spanner-in-the-wheel moment, and each side is likely to go bare-knuckle. It is just getting murkier.
Kenya is walking into a new season. A season of betrayal, defections and realignments. With only 11 months to the general elections, mass defections, betrayals and realignment are in the offing.
Already signs of betrayals and defections are in the air, and it is only a matter of time before the new season opens its doors.
Kenyans will soon be watching movement from one coalition to another, defections from one party to another, and major political realignment and fallouts.
Players and casualties
In this season, the main players and casualties will include President William Ruto, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Dr Fred Matiang’i, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and former President Uhuru Kenyatta, among others.
In the political parties, the situation will involve UDA, DCP, ODM, Wiper, the yet-to-be-registered Linda Mwananchi party, and Jubilee Party.
The fringe political parties may this time be swept by the strong political wave and could remain peripheral and in the briefcases.
The regions that will be the focal point in the 2027 general elections will rotate between Nyanza, Western, Rift Valley and Mt Kenya. These regions are where betrayals, defections and coalitions will unfold.
The season signal
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Dr Oburu Oginga, at the Broad-Based Government coalition retreat in Naivasha, lightly mentioned the coming pregnant season in passing.
Oburu, in one of his powerful speeches, said there was no time for fence-sitting but a declaration of political position in the emerging climate.
“If you are with us, just say you are with us. I must urge: let us be straightforward. If you have any issue that you want to raise, please raise it honestly, but do not be a fence-sitter,” he said.
Using a Luo saying to aptly capture the soon-to-unfold political scenario in the country, Oburu said it was time to make a political declaration and state whether one supports the coalition or not.
“In Luo, we say: if you face the lake, face it squarely. Because if you face it squarely, it is a blessing. If you turn your back to it, it is a blessing. And if you are neither looking at it nor turning your back to it, it is a curse,” he said.
Oburu said the time for fence-sitting was over and that the political class must declare their stand ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Don’t sit on the fence; you must decide where you are because we want to know who is with us and who is not with us,” he said.
Dr Oburu said it was time to determine true membership of the coalition to allow them to move forward to the election.
“If you are not with us, then you are not our member. If you are with us, you are our member. It is important we know this,” he said.
Mass exodus
Already, party leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), Rigathi Gachagua, had claimed that a section of government officers in President William Ruto’s administration had contacted him to join the party.
Gachagua had also claimed of a mass exodus from United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MPs from Mt Kenya to his party and that they have been contacting him.
“I have been receiving phone calls from government officers who want to defect to DCP. I have told them to come in broad daylight. We are going to witness a mass exodus,” he said.
Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, in a post, alluded to a mass exodus from UDA to DCP in a strategic move.
“Today, 12th August 2026, marks a new phase in the 2027 politics. For the next 90 days, the government will release elected leaders in Mt Kenya region to ‘defect’ to DCP. And they are not going there with empty pockets. With their handsome exit bonus, winning DCP nominations will not be a big deal. Winning the war is more important than winning the battle. Mambo ni Mwecheche. Hizo bags ziko na something more than Alele Mtoto,” he wrote.
A must-win election
President Ruto said next year’s general election is a must-win election and that the broad-based coalition cannot afford to lose to the opposition.
“For your information, this word I must tell you: the next election we must win by God’s grace. Not for your sake, but for the sake of Kenya. Because the alternative is difficult to fathom. We have no choice, friends. As you sit here, you have no choice, because the alternative – I shudder – the group is too dangerous for Kenya. I want to ask you with all humility that we must bear with one another,” he said.
Framework
Oburu said they have those who have been working on policies and the power-sharing formula and have made enough progress to send a warning to the opposition of their preparedness for a duel.
“We are going to win the next election by a landslide. We have what it takes,” he said.
Ruto said: “We are going into an election. We are going to the people of Kenya to tell them what we have done with the mandate they gave us.”
Ruto said his administration has discharged its responsibility and that they were seeking a new mandate going into the future.
The simmering battle between Governor James Orengo and Speaker George Okode has burst open after the assembly wrote to the Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) seeking an advisory opinion over irregular appointments in Siaya County Government.
The bone of contention between Orengo and Okode has been over the appointment of the CEC for Finance in the new cabinet appointments by the Governor.
According to Okode, George Nyangiro was first appointed CEC for Roads but was also made to act as CEC for Finance after the resignation of the office holder.
“The term for all the CEC members expired, positions were advertised and filled. For the nominee for CEC Finance, the Assembly rejected and asked the Governor to appoint a new one. But the Governor went ahead to give Nyangiro two-month contracts as CEC Finance, which was in contravention of the law,” he said.
Okode said the Assembly rejected the nominee because he did not have the requisite qualification for the CEC Finance position.
“We decided to seek the opinion of the Ombudsman after Orengo refused to listen to us, and we have been vindicated,” he said.
And the Ombudsman has directed Orengo to revoke the purported extension of the appointment of Nyangiro dated 29th May 2026 and proceed to nominate a qualified nominee to the County Assembly for approval.
In a letter by the Clerk of the Assembly dated 16th June 2026, the Commission’s guidance was sought on several appointments and extensions of tenure which the Assembly alleged had been undertaken in contravention of the Constitution of Kenya, the Office of the County Attorney Act, 2020, the Leadership and Integrity Act, and other applicable instruments.
The Assembly had raised concerns relating to compliance with the Constitution, the rule of law, separation of powers, accountability, and proper exercise of executive authority.
Findings
To resolve the identified concerns, the Commission advised and directed that the Governor of Siaya County should immediately revoke all the appointments, acting appointments, contract extensions, renewals, and redesignations found in the advisory opinion to have been made in contravention of the Constitution and applicable law.
That the Governor shall ensure that every appointment, acting appointment, renewal of contracts, extension of tenure, redesignation, or reappointment to an office requiring County Assembly approval is submitted to the County Assembly for prior approval in accordance with the Constitution and applicable statutes.
Revoke
That upon the revocation of the unlawful appointments, the Governor should immediately commence lawful recruitment processes for all affected offices and submit qualified nominees to the County Assembly for approval.
The Governor should immediately commence a competitive recruitment process for the office of County Secretary and the Director of Governor’s Press.
That the conduct of the Governor and CEC Nyangiro should be referred to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for investigation into possible violations of the Leadership and Integrity Act.
Irregular appointments
The Commission found that the appointment of Peter Asuke as acting Chief Officer was done without the approval of the County Assembly for an indefinite period and without meeting the prescribed academic qualifications.
The appointment of the County Solicitor as acting County Attorney was done without the required County Assembly approval or compliance with the statutory appointment procedure under the Office of the County Attorney Act, 2020.
Okode recently declared his gubernatorial interest for Siaya County and is leaning towards Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga.
Orengo is the party leader of the yet-to-be-registered Linda Mwananchi, a faction in ODM after a fallout.
In the Linda Mwananchi group are immediate former ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, among others.
If the Kisumu gubernatorial election is to be determined by development record, then founding Governor Jack Ranguma is the man to beat.
Ranguma starts the race on a strong foot with over 100,000 block votes he garnered in the 2017 and 2022 general elections.
In his first term as governor, Ranguma rolled out a total of 1,157 projects in all sectors.
“But I want to say this: during my reign, Kisumu witnessed significant growth in all sectors. For instance, we constructed a total of 522 roads. We constructed 500 kilometres of road,” he said.
Ranguma, who declared his bid for the Kisumu gubernatorial seat, said during his tenure he constructed 95 dispensaries and equipped them with drugs and staff in all the seven sub-counties.
“I employed over 900 health workers and ensured adequate medical supplies to all the health facilities,” he said.
Ranguma said he made Kisumu County a 24-hour economy by installing 45 solar floodlights in all the big markets in all the seven sub-counties.
The Governor Jack Ranguma scholarship was a milestone for needy and bright students, with 280 beneficiaries, while they gave bursaries to over 10,000 students.
“I introduced a school feeding programme and constructed 68 Early Childhood Education centres which promoted education,” he said.
Ranguma said during his tenure, his administration was able, for the first time in history, to control floods in Nyando and other sub-counties through desilting and excavation of river banks.
He said his government managed to tackle water insecurity in the county by drilling and equipping 80 boreholes.
“My development agenda also tackled the informal sector – boda boda – of which we took some to Rwanda on an exchange programme to learn about the industry’s dynamics. We also constructed boda boda shades and started Saccos for the sector,” he said.
Millionaires
Ranguma said in his first tenure as governor of Kisumu, he created millionaires.
“We created a conducive environment for business to thrive and paid contractors and suppliers promptly,” he said.
Pending bills
Ranguma said his administration left a pending bill of Sh800 million, of which they had allocated Sh800 million to pay contractors and suppliers in the new financial year.
Currently, Kisumu County Government has a pending bill of Sh5.9 billion, with the Senate expressing concern over the bulging debt portfolio.
“I want to state that when I left office, the pending bill at the close of the financial year was Sh800 million, and in our kitty we had the funds to pay for the pending bill.”
At the Senate, the pain and suffering of the county was laid bare by the Senators over what they termed as a huge burden of Sh5.9 billion pending bill debt Nyong’o will be passing over to his successor.
Sadly, when Nyong’o took over from Ranguma, the pending bill in his term was only Sh800 million, and funds for payment of the bills had been allocated.
And the Senate Public Accounts Committee Chairman Moses Kajwang’ asked Nyong’o whether he was planning to hand over Sh5.9 billion debt to the next administration.
“Are you planning to hand over Sh5.9 billion debt to the next administration? What is the plan, because these responses, whatever is on paper, is just accounting speak. You close that year with Sh5.9 billion as debt. Whether it is legal fees or whether it is one year old or ten years old, but after 10 years of being in office, would you be handing over Sh5.9 billion as unpaid debt to the next administration?” he asked.
Kajwang’ said there was serious concern over Sh5.9 billion of unpaid pending bills, while the revenue for the year was Sh9 billion, which exceeded the debt-to-revenue ratio capped at 20 percent but was at a high of over 60 percent.
“Do you have a payment plan, and have you submitted it to the Controller of Budget, and to what extent has this debt been reduced?” he said.
The senators questioned the sharp rise in pending bills to Sh5.9 billion, demanding a clear strategy on how the county intends to reduce the debt burden.
The committee interrogated Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o and county officials over what it described as a 108 per cent increase in pending bills within a single financial year.
Respect for Nyong’o
Ranguma said he respects Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o and that he has done his part in development.
“I do not have any ill feeling towards anyone. He was my political mentor. Politics is a game played; you win and lose altogether, but we join hands for a common purpose, which is development,” he said.
Declaration
“This morning, I stand before you once again to declare my intention to seek the seat of Governor for Kisumu to complete and rehabilitate the projects we undertook but which have now collapsed. I know what it takes to turn around the economy of Kisumu and give hope to everyone – to revive the Kisumu business sector, rehabilitate the collapsed access roads, and tackle the rising water insecurity in the region. I am a prudent financial manager, tested and proven. I want to recreate our millionaires and make Kisumu City shine again,” Ranguma said.
“I have not come to make wealth but to serve our people. To improve staff welfare through capacity building, training, and promotions where possible. To the great people of Kisumu, I kindly come to you to support my candidature to work for you. In JR, it is service to the people.”
“Members of the Press, the great people of Kisumu, Ladies and Gentlemen, and all protocol observed. This morning, we gather here on 10th August 2026, a year to the next general election. Today is a special day; it marks a new dispensation. A return of a journey of development and growth for Kisumu County, which was nipped in the bud prematurely in 2017. It was not cut short because we did not perform, but because of emerging political expediency at that time. We have remained respectful to the current leadership and granted them the opportunity to serve. For two terms they have served; I will allow the residents to judge for themselves because I will not be a judge. Together, we can bring the glory back to Kisumu.”
By Billy Mijungu There is a political calculation taking shape in Kenya, and those dismissing James Orengo’s movements as routine political courtesy may wake up too late. Bob is not touring Kenya for photographs. He is building a political proposition.
To understand what is happening, you have to understand Orengo. This is a man who entered Parliament in 1980 at the age of 29 as Kenya’s youngest Member of Parliament. He was not simply an MP. He became one of the unmistakable faces of Kenya’s struggle for multiparty democracy and constitutional reform. He endured the politics of confrontation, stood with the forces that challenged the KANU establishment and became part of the generation that fundamentally changed Kenya’s political architecture. He has been a presidential candidate, Cabinet Minister, Senator, Senate Minority Leader and is now Governor of Siaya.
He has also built a formidable reputation as a lawyer and human rights advocate. You cannot erase four decades of political memory from a man and expect him to behave like a newcomer. That history explains the current movement. Look at where Orengo is going and, more importantly, look at who is receiving him. Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Nyeri, Homa Bay repeatedly, Kisumu, Siaya and a Maa delegation at his home.
His political engagements now stretch into Kirinyaga, Mandera, Migori, Nyeri, Kiambu and Taita Taveta.Some will call it courtesy. Others will call it coincidence.I call it preparation.
Orengo understands something that many politicians discover only when it is too late. Presidential negotiations are not won on the day people sit around the table. They are won months and years before that table is set. They are built through relationships, numbers, trust, networks and the ability to speak to people who do not necessarily vote the same way you do. That is precisely what Orengo appears to be constructing.
His interactions with people such as Hon. Aisha Jumwa and Hon. Chirau Ali Mkwakwere are politically significant because they demonstrate a willingness to cross traditional political boundaries. This is the politics of accommodation. This is the politics of creating options before the negotiations begin. And then comes the question nobody wants to ask loudly.
Who exactly is negotiating for the Luo community? ODM once occupied that position almost by default. But politics has changed. The old arrangements have been exhausted, and yesterday’s political receipts cannot automatically purchase tomorrow’s political bargain.
The Luo community cannot afford to arrive at the next national negotiation table as spectators waiting to be allocated a position. Someone must build the numbers before the negotiations. Someone must create relationships beyond Nyanza. Someone must make it impossible for the national political establishment to ignore the community.
Orengo is positioning himself to do exactly that. He is not merely protecting an old political generation. He is cultivating the next one. He is creating a space where young leaders, sitting leaders, aspirants and political actors from different communities can interact with Nyanza without the old suspicion and rigid political boundaries.
When the national political table is eventually assembled and figures such as Sifuna, Rigathi, Kalonzo and Matiang’i are fighting for strategic space, Orengo will not be standing outside the room waiting for an invitation. He will walk in with a constituency.
Kisumu is already critical. Siaya is moving. Homa Bay and Migori remain the great test. If Linda Mwananchi manages to consolidate those two counties, the political arithmetic changes completely. And once the numbers change, the conversation changes.
Suddenly the question will not be whether Orengo deserves to negotiate. The question will be how anyone can negotiate without him. This is why those writing Orengo off as an ageing political figure are making a dangerous analytical mistake. Political relevance is not measured by noise. It is measured by networks, organisation, history and the ability to convert relationships into political leverage. Orengo has all four.
And then there is Babu Owino. Whatever one thinks of Babu, his political energy and influence among younger voters cannot simply be dismissed. Put that energy alongside Orengo’s experience, networks and institutional memory, and you begin to see a potentially formidable political combination emerging in Nyanza.
The political establishment should therefore pay attention. This is not about whether Orengo wants the presidency. It may not even be about whether he wants the premiership. It is about whether he wants to make himself indispensable to whoever eventually occupies State House.
That is a different game. And Bob knows how to play it. So when the presidential negotiation table is finally set, do not ask why James Orengo is there.
Ask a more uncomfortable question. Who can afford to negotiate without him? Because Orengo is not coming to the table to ask for political charity. He is coming with numbers, history, relationships and a bill to settle.
History rarely grants political communities the luxury of an easy transition. For nearly four decades, the political destiny, identity, and strategic direction of the Luo nation have been tightly intertwined with the colossal figure of Raila Amolo Odinga. His towering presence on Kenya’s national stage provided not only a formidable rallying point for Nyanza, but also a defining voice in the nation’s democratic struggles. Yet, as the tectonic plates of Kenyan politics shift toward a new era, a sobering question confronts the region: What comes next?
If Nyanza is to secure its seat at the national decision-making table in the post-Raila horizon, the community must immediately pause, pull back from the political noise, and conduct an uncompromising audit of the leadership it nurtures, promotes, and tolerates. Continuing down the familiar road of empty rhetoric, reflexive sloganeering, and emotional loyalty tests is no longer just a failure of strategy—it is political suicide.
The Cost of Internal Attrition
While other regions prepare for national alignment, local political discourse in Nyanza remains trapped in a destructive cycle of internal rivalry. Promising leaders, technocrats, and policy-driven minds are routinely vilified or pushed to the periphery in zero-sum battles for local supremacy. Instead of building a cohesive ideological ecosystem, political capital is expended on enforcing conformity and penalising independent thought.
This intra-regional warfare carries a heavy opportunity cost. Power on the national stage is neither gifted out of sympathy nor sustained by nostalgia; it is negotiated through strategic leverage, economic clout, and disciplined organisation. When a political house spends its energy fighting itself tooth and nail over regional fiefdoms, it systematically disarms itself before reaching the national negotiating table.
The Regional Calculus: Facing the “A-Teams”
A candid survey of the national landscape reveals a stark contrast in preparation:
Mount Kenya: Leaders from the region consistently rally around tangible economic agendas—protecting enterprise, agricultural value chains, and equity in resource distribution—ensuring their seat at the centre of national wealth allocation regardless of political shifts.
The Rift Valley: The region has mastered political and institutional consolidation, aligning state-building priorities, infrastructure investments, and voting power to maintain long-term leverage.
Western Kenya: Regional actors are actively building multi-party blocks, putting forward experienced negotiators, and positioning themselves as indispensable partners in successive government coalitions.
These regions understand a fundamental law of modern governance: national politics is a game of strategic pragmatism. They are fielding their “A-teams”—seasoned negotiators, economic strategists, and policy architects capable of driving hard bargains.
If Nyanza continues to bring emotional slogans to a table where others bring detailed blueprints, the region will inevitably find itself relegated to spectator status.
What Type of Leadership Does the Land Deserve?
Stocktaking requires defining the specific qualities necessary for Nyanza’s next generation of political stewardship. The post-Raila landscape demands a fundamental pivot from agitation to institutional and economic transformation:
Economic Architecture over Political Theatre: Nyanza requires leaders whose primary metric of success is economic transformation—harnessing the Lake Victoria blue economy, revitalising sugar and cotton belts, driving local manufacturing, and creating sustainable industry for an educated, underemployed youth population.
Strategic Alliance-Building: Future leadership must possess the diplomatic maturity to build durable coalitions across regional, ethnic, and ideological lines without suspicion or hesitation.
Intellectual and Policy Rigor: The complex challenges of devolution, public debt, and national governance demand representatives who can debate policy at the highest levels, draft transformative legislation, and hold the executive accountable through substance rather than noise.
Mentorship and Succession Planning: The culture of suffocating emerging talent to protect individual political turf must end. A resilient political ecosystem actively mentors, elevates, and integrates young leaders, women, professionals, and the diaspora.
The Imperative of Choice
The end of an era is not an invitation to panic; it is an invitation to mature. Raila Odinga’s historic legacy is secure in the annals of African democratic movements, but a legacy was never meant to be a substitute for regional planning and self-determination.
The window to shape the post-Raila political landscape is open right now. If Nyanza chooses to indulge in continuous infighting and shallow slogans, the community will have no one to blame when national power dynamics shift permanently without them. The moment demands sober reflection, strategic foresight, and a collective resolve to demand—and build—the high-calibre leadership the region truly deserves.
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