Orengo has always believed that he was the anointed one yet he was condemned to second fiddle to the indomitable Raila Odinga.
Today, by the stroke of fate, Mr Orengo fancies himself the colossus of Nyanza after Mr Odinga demise in October 2025.
Many of those watching Siaya Governor James Orengo’s slow exit from the Orange Democratic Movement may not fully appreciate the political genesis of this rumble in Luo Nyanza politics. That script was written decades ago long before most of today’s eager beaver politicians burst out of their mom’s uteruses. Some hadn’t even been conceived. But the Siaya governor’s circumlocutions are legendary. He is a man with a messianic vision and high self-regard for his political skill. He has always believed that he was the anointed one yet he was condemned to second fiddle to the indomitable Raila Odinga. Today, by the stroke of fate, Mr Orengo fancies himself the colossus of Nyanza after Mr Odinga demise in October 2025.
To be sure, Mr Orengo isn’t a shrinking violet. Nor is he short of self-regard. He is a man who believes he’s a political genius. He doesn’t see why, or how, he hasn’t been president of Kenya already. His ego and self-confidence are gargantuan. But so are his brains. The man is brilliant, at least as a lawyer. He has the gift of gab. He also has a winning personality – quick to laugh, self-effacing, and not offensive to the naked eye. Whatever the case, Mr Orengo is quite the character. He enjoys fine drinks and has impeccable taste in his wardrobe.
