By Anderson Ojwang
When Alego MP Sam Atandi asked Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s young Turks to retire from politics and allow youthful leaders to take over, it never occurred to him that he was stirring a pig and street fight.
For Siaya Governor James Orengo, who grudgingly supported the broad-based government after he was boxed into it through intense pressure, has finally bolted out.
Orengo, the diehard political activist and streetwise politician, has shed off his calm demeanor after the demise of Raila Odinga and returned to his true colours — and now he is ready for a pig fight.
“Our community has had politicians who have been around since Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. They were with Jaramogi when he was alive. They were trying to help Jaramogi become president — they failed. Then Raila Amolo Odinga adopted them; they tried to help Raila become president. They also failed.
Now that Raila Amolo Odinga has moved on, they still want to give us direction. I want to tell those politicians that your time is up. You will not give us direction now. Now we have a team of young, competent leaders.
We have been leaders since university, and I want to tell you that when we were in the university, we schemed politics. We were never defeated. Throughout my life in campus, we ensured one of us was the president of the student union.
How come in national politics we have never succeeded?
If there is any leader who thinks of any partnership apart from that with William Ruto, then he is deluded,” Atandi said.
Orengo waited patiently to respond to Atandi’s attack and chose the right location — Mombasa during the ODM 20th anniversary — and in his characteristic fashion, he caused a storm and uproar.
Orengo said:
“There is no way ODM can mbeleza Ruto. I can tell you. But if ODM is strong and you stand on the basis of your leader Raila Amolo Odinga, he wanted a strong and free country. We must fight everywhere.
For me, if there are cowards, don’t sell fear to us. We are prepared to go back to the streets. Me, James Orengo, I am prepared to go back to the streets.
Which government killed Ojwang’? When Raila agreed to form a government together with President Mwai Kibaki, it was constitutionalized.
It was not through an MoU. An MoU is not as good as a marriage certificate. An MoU is not a legal document and is not enforceable. It is not registrable under the Political Parties Act.
What remains is to ask you, the youths — how many of you are prepared to fight for the people? How many of you are prepared to fight like Raila?”
And from that, it was an all-out fight, with Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo saying they were ready for a head-to-head political contest.
“Wa se wacho wach Kenya kendo ma thurwa ka. Jok manigi yor gi moro ok waluoro gi (We have spoken about the country and our community. If some people have their separate political path, we do not fear them).
We are ready to go head to head. Candidate gi no gi kele, gi use marwa ni bende wausi (Let them bring their candidate and we bring ours and sell to the electorates. Then ji oradi — let’s face off).
The idea of conmanship and deceit in our politics must end.
Ok inyal bed oni gi odichieng’ idwa nyisowa kaka idwa siemo wang’ jotelo to in kata gima isetimo gimoro achiel kuma omiyie thuolo to oonge (You cannot pretend to criticize leaders during the day yet you have done nothing for your people).
Ka piny olil, to jatelo no ema pod ichako iluori e toké, ichako secho mondo omiyi gimoro mondo okonyi nikech gima inyalo siemo ma isetimo ne jothuru onge (At night, you sneak to the same president you criticized during the day to ask for help because you have no development record).
So the point is — your days are numbered.
Nitiere joma osewuondo ji e thurwa ka higni gi higni ma giparo ni koro ji ofuwo sana (There are people who have deceived the community for ages thinking we are stupid).
So nyis joma itelo negi gima isetimo negi.
Ne isecho mondo ogèr ni hospital, ne isecho mondo oger ni otuek, ni stadium kato ipukori.
Nikech koro iyudo ji makowi, koro ibukori ni idwa siemo wang’ President (Tell your people what you have done — you were begging for a hospital and a stadium, and now you turn around to criticize the president).”
Homa Bay MP Opondo Kaluma, a rightist, wrote on his X handle:
“That stick Kalonzo gave Governor Orengo in Bondo was ‘kamuti.’ Orengo has been saying some very strange things since then.”
Former ODM deputy party leader and Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho said they will remain in the broad-based government.
“Do not be threatened and scared by people who don’t speak on behalf of the party. Not everybody should be a spokesman. If you look at Gladys Wanga, is she someone to be threatened or scared?
What about Dr Oburu? Who are you to speak if these leaders have not spoken?
You must understand that Baba loved all of us — from the Coast to the Lake.
He accommodated us and listened to our views, and that is why we loved him.
You cannot force us to love someone. We only love the lovable,” he said.
In this pig fight, Orengo has nothing to lose, while his opponents have everything to lose — and the Governor may just go back to his old tricks to trap the loyalists in an endless charade.
