By Anderson Ojwang

Governor James Orengo has walked out of the old Orange Democratic Movement shackles to chart his new political dispensation with the new cabinet appointments.

Orengo’s new cabinet appointments mirrors one on a new dispensation to enhance his grip on the 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 the “Linda ground.”

Most of the allies of the MPs who were in the cabinet were shown the door save for only CEC Finance George Nyingiro and Grace Agola , former KCB Siaya Branch Manager, who was appointed CEC for Education.

Mr. Joseph Rading, formerly of Siaya Public Service, from Gem was nominated to be CEC Governance.

Orengo cast his net wider by politician Mrs. Christine Oyuu to Trade, she is the wife of KNUT secretary general Mr. Collins Oyuu.

Mr. Willis Okoth , CEC Agriculture is a former Imbo West MCA while Dr Kut Ochogo lost to Alego MP Sam Atandi in the controversial ODM nomination,

Mr. . Neto Adhola , CEC Lands is s respected politician from Rarieda, who have lost the ODM nomination for the constituency on controversial circumstances.

Other nominated for CEC were Eng. Erick Odawa for Public Works and Martine Konyango-Health and Sanitation

Orengo new look cabinet is more of “Linda Mwananchi” one composes of some politicians who were allegedly rigged in the ODM primaries in various seats.

Check mating Sam Atandi with Dr Kut

Alego MP Sam Atandi was once a close ally of Orengo and campaigned for him during the 2022 gubernatorial elections.

Atandi was one of the key leaders who negotiated Dr William Oduol Orengo gubernatorial ticket.

But Atandi and Orengo have since fallen out over the pre-election coalition pact between ODM and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of President William Ruto.

Kut is not a political pushover in Alego politics and his appointment will make Atandi’s team to the drawing board ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Neto Adhola political networks

Neto has a wide political network not only in Rarieda but Siaya county. This appointment is a slap on area MP Dr Otieno Amolo, who may face Adhola in the 2027 general election, should he decide to contest.

Neto is from Asembo, where Eng Nicholas Gumbo comes from. Gumbo recently declared interest in the Siaya gubernatorial seat

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 in 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.

As one long-time ODM strategist put it:

“What Orengo is doing is not rebellion but evolution. He is positioning himself for the next political chapter, with or without Raila.”

Inside Siaya’s Power Shift

Who’s Losing Influence:
● Long-serving Odinga–Oburu loyalists within the county administration.
● Officials perceived to support Ruto’s broad-based agenda.

Who’s Rising:
● Orengo’s loyal technocrats and younger allies across key departments.
● Grassroots coordinators aligned with the governor’s 2027 strategy.

What It Means:
● A weakened ODM hierarchy in Siaya.
● Orengo emerging as a new regional power broker.
● Early tremors of a post-Raila political era taking shape in Nyanza.

By Anderson Ojwang

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is acting like a jilted lover in a marriage which is yet to be consummated after the groom, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), showed indifference.

The pomp, fanfare and illustrious parties that marked the wooing of the bride after the demise of the founder and immediate party leader, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, seem to have disappeared into thin air.

The goodies, expensive gifts, high-end meetings and chopper rides that initially formed part and parcel of the engagement have since dried up, and the party is back to its financial constraints after the groom failed to disburse the Sh12 billion owed to the bride from the Political Parties Fund.

The romantic tone and gestures that formed part of discussions have been replaced by rudeness, verbal abuse, intimidation and blackmail.

Recently, the bride enjoyed a flight to Kilifi for a National Governing Council, which culminated in the unsuccessful sacking of the Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, now a principal in the Linda Mwananchi faction of the party.

The high-end escapade also ratified the Special Delegates Conference, which confirmed Dr Oburu Oginga as the party leader, Gladys Wanga as the National Chairperson, Kisii Governor Simba Arati and his Mombasa counterpart Abdulsamad Nassir as deputy party leaders, among others.

The SDC also sacked Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi as deputy party leader, but the senator is currently a principal in the Linda Mwananchi faction. The SDC also mandated Oburu to engage with the groom, President William Ruto.

But after the SDC, the pre-election coalition talks that informed the formation of Linda Ground to engage the party members on the negotiations seem to have died a natural death.

Jilted Lover

On Thursday, the Central Management Committee meeting demanded respect from the partner UDA in a statement.

“On our relationship with our broad-based partners, the UDA party, the CMC noted with concern the goings-on and the unwarranted public utterances by some senior officials aimed at causing anxiety and disquiet among our members. As a party that believes in its principles, ideology and the foundation on which it was founded, we demand respect from the UDA party,” read the statement in parts.

Sweet love when it lasted

Kisumu Women Representative, then Ruth Adhiambo Odinga, expressed concern over the overnight riches in the party.

“As a signatory to the ODM account, if Sifuna questioned where all the money for choppers, big tents and ODM branded t-shirts and caps in the ‘Linda Ground’ conventions were coming from? We are seeing a situation where a lot of money is flying around, and there appears to be a deliberate approach to commit ODM party into a coalition agreement more than a year to the next general elections?” she asked.

Sifuna revealed that the funds and resources that were used in the Linda Ground engagement did not come from the party.

“The money and the resources you see being spent on the ODM rallies called Linda Ground, the monies do not come from ODM headquarters. For me, I can only account for the monies because I am a signatory to the bank accounts. Timothy Bosire is a signatory to the bank accounts. The last money we expended as ODM officially was for the celebration in Mombasa, and it was a fraction of what you saw there,” he said.

Sifuna said there was parallel funding of political activities in the party and they do not know where the funds were coming from.

“For a fact, there is parallel funding for activities clothed in ODM colors, and they go around saying they are ODM delegates. The Linda Ground are not financed from the ODM coffers and headquarters. There is no money that I executed a cheque for those activities. We didn’t have any money. The third quarter remittance from the exchequer came two weeks ago, about Sh100 million, and it is a drop in the ocean compared to what exactly ODM is supposed to receive.”

Warning signal

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua told the ODM leadership to request President Ruto to disburse the Sh12 billion political fund owed to the party by the government.

Gachagua said it was unfortunate that the leadership was driven by tokenism from the president instead of the disbursement of political funds owed to them.

“Instead of going for tokens, kindly ask the President to disburse even half of the amount owed to make the party financially sound. Former party national chairman John Mbadi is the current Cabinet Secretary for Finance. Why can’t he arrange to release funds to ODM? We need a stronger party with a sound financial standing. This is what the party leadership should prioritize,” Gachagua said.

Defiance by Linda Ground

Wanga then told Gachagua to give them a break and that they do not want his advice.

“Gachagua should give us a break. He should concentrate on his village party, DCP. He has built his politics on hate and division,” she said.

The hard times in the offing

Linda Ground has morphed into Linda Chama and has been sent into a panic and crying mode.

And now Wanga has come out strongly to protect ODM from infiltration, saying they were ready to walk out of any negotiations.

“Ka ngato omulo chama wa. Kata in ema omiyo wa mo moleny (If someone tries to destroy our party, even if he is the one who gives us ghee). Waweyo ne mo no (We will leave that ghee),” she said.

Wanga said it was time to protect the party from intrusion and to prevent the party from losing its parliamentary strength in the next election.

“Nyaka warit chama (We must protect the party). Ok inyal bedo e mesa ka in gimps 20 onge ngame dbi winji (You cannot go to the negotiation when you only have 20 MPs because you will have no bargaining power),” she said.

Wanga said Raila was able to negotiate on the strength of his MPs and expressed concern that the party may lose that strength in 2027 if they do not win most of the seats.

Junet warned their partners in the broad-based alliance against infiltration of their strongholds and threatened to walk out.

“I want to tell our UDA partners that we want power. If we can’t get it here, we will look elsewhere,” he said.

Junet claimed that state machinery was being used to pressure ODM legislators – particularly from the Coast and Western regions – to defect to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

He said the move was aimed at weakening ODM’s national influence and reducing it to a regional outfit.

Gachagua’s last laugh

Gachagua has been vindicated, and his warning to the ODM leadership that President William Ruto was fattening them for the butcher’s knife has come to pass.

He had warned the ODM leadership of Dr Oburu Oginga, National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Director of Elections Junet Mohammed of Ruto’s scheme to destroy the party.

“I have often told ODM leadership that they should not allow William Ruto to destroy ODM. You shouted me down and asked that I should keep off. I have seen Gladys Wanga is now crying. Junet Mohammed is also crying. All the Raila’s leaders are crying. I warned you that Kasongo will destroy ODM, but you didn’t listen to me,” he said.

Tears of regret

Wanga opened the taps of tears as they freely flowed over what she termed as betrayal and lack of respect for ODM.

Visibly emotional and drained, Wanga used a handkerchief in her hand to wipe the tears as the public watched in disbelief and sympathized at the same time.

Wanga declared that ODM was the only inheritance left behind by the founder, the late Raila Odinga, and will defend it at all cost.

“This our party is what our party leader, the late Raila, left us. It is all we have. We will defend and protect our party. Defending our party comes number one before anything else. So we will defend our party, our people, and we will defend our areas. We will make sure that our parliamentary strength is not reduced by even an inch. Ok wane mumbo wala ei ot (We are not scared of darkness). No. It is our party. Weche modong wabiro wacho mbele ka wasebedo kod heshima e party ka (We will only discuss other business when respect exists),” she said.

By Anderson Ojwang

The politics of national identity cards is fast turning into another frontier of contest in Nyanza, with various divides blaming one another for the low uptake.

With only 14 months to the next general election, the national identity card is becoming a critical weapon in the electoral contest.

It is emerging as a battleground for the new vote bloc, and the old political rivalry is currently playing out.

A simmering contest between President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the predominant party in the region, is in the offing over the ID drive.

According to recent data from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which targets 5,083,252 new voters in the ongoing drive, out of the 5,083,252, IEBC targets 786,921 new voters from Nyanza, accounting for 15.5 percent of the new voters targeted.

IEBC targets from Homa Bay 147,809 new voters, Migori 146,869, Kisumu 133,740 and Siaya 123,142.

If the IEBC meets its target, the number of registered voters will shoot to a total of 28 million, up from 22.1 million who cast their votes during the 2022 Elections.

In 2023, Kenya had approximately 13.2 million students enrolled in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools. Specifically, there were 2.9 million in pre-primary, 10.2 million in primary and 4.1 million in secondary schools.

In 2025, a total of 993,226 sat KCSE, while in 2024 the number was 962,512 candidates, and in 2023 the number was 899,453, giving a total of 2,855,191 forming the bulk of the new voters targeted by IEBC.

In 2023, student enrolment in Migori County was 147,033, while in Homa Bay County it stood at 143,550, Siaya County stood at 130,784 and Kisumu County stood at 123,499, totaling 544,866.

The last batch of the 2023 population will have the last class sit examinations and will be eligible for national identity cards and voter cards to participate in the 2027 general elections.

This could have informed the decision by the government through a circular from the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Education, State Department for Basic Education, Amb. Prof Julius K. Bitok, who wrote and captioned “Facilitation of school-based ID registration exercise, second term, 2025.”

The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, through the National Registration Bureau (NRB), intends to undertake a mobile national ID registration drive targeting eligible students in secondary schools during the current (second) school term (May-August 2025).

The battle mine

Political rivalry, inclination, and superiority contest have clouded and undermined the national identification issuance and uptake in the four counties in Nyanza.

President Ruto’s right-hand man in Nyanza, Dr Raymond Omollo, the Permanent Secretary for Internal Security and the patron of the ID drive initiatives in the region, has been supporting various initiatives in the region.

Dr Omollo has been supporting the Lavender Ojalla-led initiative “Jiandikishe,” which is based in Homa Bay County, and another initiative, “Kenya Youth Transition Initiative, Begin Early,” which covers Kisumu, Siaya and Migori.

But on Monday, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga led elected leaders from the county, including Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay), Dr. Joyce Bensuda (Women Representative), Dr. Lillian Gogo (Rangwe), and Dr. Eve Obara (Kasipul Kabondo), to a meeting with Permanent Secretary for Immigration Dr Belio Kipsang.

Wanga wrote on her social media handle: “We held a consultative meeting with Dr. Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary for Immigration, to deliberate on ID registration challenges within the county.”

Wanga said they agreed with the PS to re-energize the registration process to meet the target.

“We have jointly agreed with the Ministry to re-energize the registration process and fast-track both new and pending applications through a targeted Rapid Response Initiative. This intervention is aimed at ensuring that all eligible residents are registered and can fully access essential government services,” she wrote.

Omollo and Wanga have been feuding over national government projects in Homa Bay County and have become bitter rivals.

Omollo currently plays host to MCAs who have fallen out with Wanga, and this has soured the relationship.

According to the latest data from the acting regional registration officer, George Opiyo, as of 14th April 2026, there were 80,027 uncollected national identity cards.

Kisumu led with 32,296, Migori stood at 5,450, while Homa Bay was at 12,205. Siaya had 11,426, while Kisii was at 14,610 and Nyamira at 4,047.

Ojalla dismissed Wanga’s claims of low identity card registration, saying her initiative has managed to register a significant number.

“My exercise began in November last year, and we have been able to traverse several sub-counties in Homa Bay County, and the turnout has been very impressive. I have taken advantage of the grassroots networks I built during my campaigns, and this has made my work easy,” she said.

Kisumu trouble zone

In Kisumu County, identity registration and distribution have been undermined by political contest and inclination.

Various aspirants allied to ODM have expressed concern that the team allied to the PS has been undermining their efforts in organizing the drive.

“We have been unable to organize the drives because we are viewed as opponents, while the UDA wing wants to use the drive for popularity and contest,” the aspirants said.

One of the aspirants in the county, who did not want to be named, said he had approached the regional office to undertake the drive in one of the constituencies in the county.

He said they reached an amicable agreement, and when they went back, they were asked for a mobilization fund, which they agreed to pay.

“But when the UDA team learned of the drive, the exercise was scuttled, and for five months, no identity card issuance has taken place in that area,” he said.

By Anderson Ojwang

The wounded and wobbling faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Linda Ground, has morphed into Linda Chama and has been sent into a panic and crying mode.

While the other faction, Linda Mwananchi, is becoming a movement by day and continues to hold its rallies, at Linda Ground it is gnashing of teeth and premium tears.

It is no longer Linda Ground to Linda Chama; the chickens are finally coming home to roost.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been vindicated, and his warning to the ODM leadership that President William Ruto was fattening them for the butcher’s knife has come to pass.

Gachagua, who has become a subject of campaign for his alleged tribal antics and a tool to whip emotions against those associating with him, is today watching how the once largest party in the country is fast collapsing.

Gachagua had warned the ODM leadership of Dr Oburu Oginga, National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Director of Elections Junet Mohammed of Ruto’s scheme to destroy the party.

“I have often told ODM leadership that they should not allow William Ruto to destroy ODM. You shouted me down and asked that I keep off. I have seen Gladys Wanga is now crying. Junet Mohammed is also crying. All of Raila’s leaders are crying. I warned you that Kasongo will destroy ODM, but you didn’t listen to me,” he said.

Gachagua claimed President Ruto was plotting with Cabinet Secretaries Hassan Joho and Wycliff Oparanya to weaken ODM in Coast and Western Kenya through new political parties affiliated to the two leaders.

“William Ruto has planned to have a new party in Mombasa, and he will give it to Joho to destroy ODM at the Coast. Oparanya will soon resign from the government, and there is already a political party for him to use in Western Kenya in the 2027 general elections,” he said.

Oparanya has stated that he is ready to quit ODM for the sake of Luhya unity, and in a recent radio interview he said he will soon declare his political position and next move.

“I want to say in front of you. If the problem is having different parties, I am ready to leave ODM even now. Let us come together because I know that we are a sleeping giant in this country,” Oparanya stated.

Gachagua said Ruto was also interested in ensuring that his allies were elected as MPs in Nyanza on a UDA ticket.

“Kasongo wants ODM to be a Luo party, and also among the Luo he has planned to have his people elected. He is using Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo to plant candidates in the region to compete with Raila’s people. He wants Raila’s people to lose in Nyanza and have his people in the region,” he said.

Gachagua said ODM was likely to perform poorly in the 2027 general election and could only garner a maximum of 20 MPs.

“For ODM, if God allows, you will have 20 MPs. In Nairobi you have lost by design. I don’t want to get into ODM issues, but I want Raila’s legacy of ODM to remain as the biggest party. The only way to survive is to zone your strongholds before you get into any alliance with Ruto,” he said.

Gachagua claimed Ruto plotted to destroy ODM immediately after elections and that is why he supported Raila’s candidature for the AU chair.

“When he plotted to destroy ODM, I was with him as his deputy. The day he had a handshake with Raila, I asked why he brought him into the fold. He told me, ‘I want to bring him close and take him to the AU so that he can deal with ODM once and for all.’ He is now destroying ODM,” he said.

And now Wanga has come out strongly to protect ODM from infiltration, saying they were ready to walk out of any negotiations.

“Ka ngato omulo chama wa. Kata in ema omiyo wa mo moleny (If someone tries to destroy our party. Even if he is the one who gives us ghee). Waweyo ne mo no (We will leave that ghee),” she said.

Wanga said it was time to protect the party from intrusion and to prevent the party from losing its parliamentary strength in the next election.

“Nyaka warit chama (We must protect the party). Ok inyal bedo e mesa ka in gi MPs 20 onge ngame dbi winji (You cannot go to the negotiation when you only have 20 MPs because you will have no bargaining power),” she said.

Wanga said Raila was able to negotiate on the strength of the MPs and expressed concern that the party may lose that strength in 2027 if they do not win most of the seats.

Junet warned their partners in the broad-based government against infiltration in their stronghold and threatened to walk out.

“I want to tell our UDA partners that we want power. If we can’t get it here, we will look elsewhere,” he said.

Junet claimed that state machinery was being used to pressure ODM legislators – particularly from the Coast and Western regions – to defect to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

He said the move was aimed at weakening ODM’s national influence and reducing it to a regional outfit.

Wanga opened the taps of tears as they freely flowed over what she termed as betrayal and lack of respect for ODM.

Visibly emotional and drained, Wanga used a handkerchief in her hand to wipe the tears as the public watched in disbelief and sympathized at the same time.

Wanga declared that ODM was the only inheritance left behind by the founder, the late Raila Odinga, and will defend it at all cost.

“This our party is what our party leader, the late Raila, left us. It is all we have. We will defend and protect our party. Defending our party comes number one before anything else. So we will defend our party, our people, and we will defend our areas. We will make sure that our parliamentary strength is not reduced by even an inch. Ok wane mumbo wala ei ot (We are not scared of darkness). No. It is our party. Weche modong wabiro wacho mbele ka wasebedo kod heshima e party ka (We will only discuss other business when respect exists),” she said.