By Reporter
President William Ruto has appointed a son of Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Oginga as one of his advisors.
Jaoko Oburu, a former county executive committee member in Siaya county government, was appointed as special advisor for economic empowerment and sustainable livelihood.
The appointment comes after a falling out between ODM leader Raila Odinga and Siaya Governor James Orengo, who was once a close ally but has become an ardent critic of the political pact between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Orengo has come under a barrage of criticism from ODM leadership led by Oburu, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and Alego MP Sam Atandi, among others, for his opposition to the political pact between Ruto and Raila.
A section of the ODM leadership and Siaya Members of the County Assembly have been toying with a plot to impeach Orengo over his opposition to the political pact.
Jaoko wrote, captioned “My appointment as Special Advisor at the office of the president.
I take this opportunity to give special thanks to the president, William Ruto, for granting me the opportunity to serve Kenyans by appointing me to serve in the capacity of Special Advisor, Economic Empowerment, and Sustainable Livelihoods.
My thanks goes also to the former prime minister, Raila Odinga, for showing his faith in me and for creating a conducive environment for Kenyans from all walks of life to work together for our beloved country.”
Currently, Oburu leads the support broad based government and President Ruto, he recently told off members of Azimio Coalition over their opposition to ODM working with President Ruto.
Recently, during the burial of Raila’s aide, Oburu declared they were rightfully in the broad-based government and had no reason to pull out.
“We joined the broad-based government to help you stabilise the government, and we were not worried by those objecting to the new political formation.
We want to encourage the country to be peaceful. We are going to work together, and those of our friends who think otherwise should also continue to think otherwise, and we will remain friends with them, but they should know that as ODM, we have decided to work in this broad-based government.
We have lent you people to work with you, and what I want to appeal for, let our region gets its share of development,” he said.
Oburu also told the Mt Kenya residents at a funeral in Meru County that they were supporting President Ruto after they betrayed Raila in the last general election.
When he spoke, in front of Raila, Oburu talked about the betrayal by Mountain in the last presidential election and why he doesn’t regret being in the broad based government with President William Ruto.
Oburu said Raila made huge sacrifices to then President Uhuru Kenyatta in a hope that Mt Kenya would reciprocate by supporting his presidential ambition but that went nought.
“ As things stand, we are in this government called broad based government.
I am a member of a broad based government.
Martha Karua has told me she is very far from broad based government.
It is ok.
Because we are friends, that doesn’t spoil the friendship.
Because we might be there and there, but tomorrow we are together.
So politics is like that, but I want to say that our country must remain united.
Raila is very big-hearted.
You know, for five years, Raila supported Uhuru Kenyatta without asking Uhuru to give him ministers, to give him anything, because he wanted to bring the Mountain closer to us.
The government you supported, Raila, gave you unconditional support.
And we were expecting that when Raila now stands for presidential candidate, the Mountain was going to come and give Raila a reciprocal treatment.
But as things stood out and as fate had it, that did not happen.
And, Uhuru Kenyatta warned you people and told you that you will cry.
Now, when you are crying, you want Raila to come and rescue you. How does he do it? So we are a broad-based government, and we don’t regret it.
What we want to do is to have our country united and peaceful.
Let us continue.
Elections will come and go.
When those elections come, people will decide who to lead but for now we must be stable and we must stabilize the government of the day.
