By Anderson Ojwang
Could Siaya Governor James Orengo be staring at being served with the same cold dose he once served his deputy, William Oduol, when the County Assembly impeached him but he was saved by the Senate?
The politics of Siaya County is likely to take a complete turn today after Members of the County Assembly were led to Eldoret State Lodge to meet President William Ruto.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Dr Oburu Odinga, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, National Assembly Budget Chairperson Sam Atandi, and Speaker George Okode led the delegation to meet the President.
Siaya Governor James Orengo was conspicuously absent from the trip and is said to have travelled out of the country on a private engagement.
Sources told Western Insight that Orengo travelled outside the country on Wednesday night, while today Oburu led the delegation to the State Lodge in Eldoret.
Orengo and the Oburu-led team from Siaya, including Atandi and Wandayi, have sharply differed over the broad-based government and party leadership.
Orengo leans towards the Mama Ida Odinga-led group in the party, which recently met in Nairobi after Ida asked the party leadership to embrace dialogue and avoid killing the party.
Last year, Orengo survived impeachment by the MCAs after the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga intervened and held a meeting with the dissenting MCAs.
Orengo later met with the MCAs to resolve the dispute but has never regained control of the Assembly. A majority of the MCAs owe allegiance to Speaker Okode, while Orengo reportedly has only three MCAs who are loyal to him and accompany him to his functions.
Sources have claimed there is a possible plot to impeach Orengo over his constant opposition to the broad-based government arrangement.
Wandayi, who spoke at a funeral in Alego, took a swipe at a leader who blows hot and cold on issues.
Wandayi said it was wrong for a leader to blow hot and cold on issues and perpetually sit on the fence.
“The matter of ODM leadership was settled at the NDC, and anybody imagining a vacuum in the party leadership is daydreaming. It cannot be that unless you are the one leading, nothing can happen. Who are you? We cannot allow you, and we shall deal with you squarely,” he said.
Interestingly, Orengo’s deputy, Dr William Oduol, on Friday declared his interest in the Siaya gubernatorial race on an ODM ticket.
When contacted on whether he travelled to Eldoret with the MCAs and if he was aware of a plot to impeach Orengo, Oduol wrote: “I am in funerals today.”
“Today, the 2013 Siaya Manyien has been reactivated, and I declare my candidature for the Siaya gubernatorial seat. My candidature was blessed by the bishops and the priests, and I am confident of winning the elections,” he said in an interview.
Oduol said that at the appropriate time, he will present himself for ODM nomination alongside other interested candidates, in the true spirit of democracy within the party.
“I remain a strong supporter of the Broad-Based Government arrangement, which I firmly believe offers the surest path to unity, stability, and meaningful transformation for the great people of Siaya,” he said.
Atandi said the mainstream ODM was working with President Ruto and that there are a few leaders who are not interested in the broad-based arrangement.
“We are not going to send you away, but when party organs make a ratification in engagement with Ruto, you will just walk away on your own,” Atandi said.
After the election, a fallout occurred between Orengo and Oduol over alleged corruption in the administration and other malpractices.
The Siaya County Assembly passed a motion to impeach Oduol, but the Senate rescued him from the jaws of his enemies and gave him a new lease of life.
“The office of the Deputy Governor has completely been disabled. All staff have been directed not to communicate or take instructions from the DG. The DG is not invited to Cabinet meetings, and his benefits and allowances have been withdrawn, including fuelling his official county car, which he now does on his own,” Oduol said.
Oduol said his attempts to reconcile with Orengo have been rebuffed, forcing him to take a back seat and watch from the sidelines.
“I have made many attempts to reach out to Orengo without any luck. I have decided to take a back seat, but I am happy that I have been vindicated. All the MPs from Siaya have raised the same issues that I raised in 2022 over lack of leadership, graft, lethargy, and a hands-off management style, among many others,” he said.
