Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga (right), accompanied by Siaya Governor James Orengo, during a relief food distribution exercise to flood victims at Muhondo grounds in Alego-Usonga in Siaya.
The cold war between Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga and Siaya Governor James Orengo is simmering – reigniting their age-old rivalry.
As Mr Odinga charts his future in what has come to be known as the broad-based government led by President William Ruto, Mr Orengo appears to be moving in the opposite direction, reliving a rivalry rooted in the reformist politics of the 1990s.
In a clear case of resurfacing tensions, the two men’s once united front is cracking, with claims of political betrayal and ideological differences.
While ODM has signed a memorandum of understanding with President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to work together on a 10-point agenda, Governor Orengo warns against a rush to formalise the agreement with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The Siaya governor seized the moment to confront the two leaders at the funeral of Mr Odinga’s bodyguard George Oduor in last Saturday, where he told Kenyans to “always tell our leaders the truth”.
While cautioning against praise singing, the governor demanded that leaders be accountable and be ready to lay everything to the bare whenever the Constitution is violated and the country’s laws are violated.
“Weaponising the criminal justice system should stop. Police should not be used to fabricate charges against Kenyans. Let us build a society based on the Constitution and the rule of law,” Governor Orengo said in Ndori, Siaya County.
“I cannot be a praise-singer. We fought for a democratic Constitution where people should speak freely.”
He added that singing praises to leaders would not do Kenyans any good.
“I urge Kenyans to tell their leaders the truth. This country will go to the dogs again if the kind of language we hear continues. If anything is brought to Siaya County, it will be as a matter of right, not as a favour,” the governor added.
Mr Orengo went on to tell President Ruto, Mr Odinga, state officials and others at the funeral that not everyone can be in the government.
“There is need to fight for your rights and you will still have a better country,” he said.
Mr Orengo spoke after Mr Odinga’s elder brother and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, Energy Cabinet Secretary James Opiyo Wandayi and ODM National Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga – who all showered praises on the UDA-ODM agreement.
The governor’s “anti-broad-based government” remarks appear to have ruffled many feathers, especially from Nyanza, with the leaders now accusing him of brazenly picking a fight with Mr Odinga and the President.
The Ramogi Professional Caucus held a press conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, during which its members accused Governor Orengo of reigniting wars with the ODM leader.
“We are here to make it clear that Governor Orengo was not speaking and does not ever speak for the Luo nation. The position of the Luo nation with regard to the broad-based government is the one Mr Odinga stated when signing the agreement with the President in broad daylight. We support that agreement fully and without apologies,” Ramogi Professional Caucus Chairman Joshua Nyamori said.
Prof Polycarp Ochilo, a member of the caucus, said the views expressed by Mr Orengo were his own, adding that the governor “embarrassed the Luo community”.
He said the views were “driven by nothing but jealousy and fear for his future”.
Former Siaya Senate candidate Oscar Omondi and Ms Rachel Omollo accused the county boss of antagonising the region against the government.
Mr Omondi said the people of Siaya County could soon push for the impeachment of their governor.
The law says a governor can be removed from office for gross violation of the Constitution or any other law; where there are grounds to believe the governor has committed a crime under national or international law; abuse of office or gross misconduct; or physical or mental incapacity to discharge the functions of the office.
“If Governor Orengo does not apologise, we will have no option but to push for his impeachment for gross misconduct. The community has been fighting for far too long and we are now more interested in economic freedom, which can only be achieved by working with the government,” Mr Omondi said.
“Our community has lost a lot and shed blood, including of children. We cannot go back to these battles that Governor Orengo is championing. Mr Orengo should leave Mr Odinga to take the community to the next station.”
Ramogi Caucus Coordinator Oscar Omondi (third right) addresses journalists at Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, on Wednesday. The group criticised Siaya Governor James Orengo for ‘embarrassing’ President Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Governor Orengo steered clear of the debate even when the Daily Nation sought his comments on the claims of defying Mr Odinga and pushing the anti-broad based government narrative.
Ms Omollo urged the governor to let Mr Odinga lead the community through the ODM-UDA joint agreement.
“Governor Orengo needs to use the cooperation to ensure development in this region. Engaging in such rhetoric only takes us back as a community and is an embarrassing moment for Mr Odinga,” she said.
Separately in Homa Bay County, Governor Wanga said Nyanza not created to belong to the opposition.
“We are in government and fully behind our leader Raila Odinga. That is the kind of politics we are playing,” the ODM Chairperson said.
“The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible says there is a time and a season for everything. Let Governor Orengo know that there is a time for protests and a time to sit back and make peace.”
She said the community has no luxury to waste time in the opposition trenches, adding that the region has embraced the government for the sole purpose of development.
Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi insisted on Tuesday that ODM is right to be in the government, adding that the party is now part of policy-making in the Kenya Kwanza coalition administration.
“Let Governor Orengo know that the community was not created to remain in the opposition. We understand he has been in the opposition all his life and urge him to concentrate on running Siaya County,” Mr Atandi said.
He “reminded” Governor Orengo that the affairs of the country are under the President, who is in charge”.
“Governor Orengo should stop poking his nose in the affairs of the national government,” Mr Atandi said in Parliament.
Prof Ochillo said Governor Orengo is pained because the community is chatting its future without his input.
“This is the reality and we will not allow Governor Orengo to derail it. The outburst on Saturday was meant to cause embarrassment Mr Odinga and President Ruto. We are glad they took it in their stride,” the university don said.
According to the caucus, Governor Orengo is playing politics with the community while poverty and massive unemployment ravage the region.
“We are here to assure President Ruto and Mr Odinga that as professionals, we endorse their pact without reservations,” the Ramogi Professional Caucus said in its statement.
“It has stabilised the nation, brought tangible benefits to the region, brought all communities to the table and seems poised to right the many wrongs that many regions suffered under past regimes.”
'Painfully assertive'
Governor Orengo is never shy of speaking his mind.
Siaya Governor James Orengo.
The Siaya governor and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo were on record warning against the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a brainchild of Mr Odinga and then-president Uhuru Kenyatta that was halted abruptly by courts.
The position almost cost him the Minority Leader seat in the Senate. Dr Amollo lost the deputy chairmanship of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee in the National Assembly.
Mr Orengo’s stance against the broad-based government revives memories of the 1990s when he and Mr Odinga clashed, often resulting in physical fights by their supporters.
The history of bad blood between the two can be traced to the death of Mr Odinga’s father – Jaramogi Oging Odinga.
At the time of Jaramogi’s death in 1994, Mr Orengo was the MP for Ugenya and considered the second most influential politician in the region.
Wealth of experience
Despite his youth, Mr Orengo had a wealth of experience, having been elected to parliament at the age of 29 in 1980.
He also had the respect of individuals who had worked with Jaramogi, an advantage over Mr Odinga, who was then seen as a greenhorn riding on his father’s name.
Mr Orengo even supported Michael Kijana Wamalwa to replace Jaramogi as leader of Ford Kenya against Mr Odinga.
Later, Mr Odinga formed the National Development Party (NDP).
Mr Odinga’s decision to oppose Mr Wamalwa led to a chaotic scene at Thika stadium in 1995 when both declared themselves winners.
Mr Wamalwa became the recognised leader of Ford-K while Mr Odinga left to form the NDP.
He was forge a political identity and became the de facto leader of Nyanza politics.
Siaya Governor James Orengo. He has admitted that the county treasury he inherited from his predecessor Amoth Rasanga is rotten.
In the 1997 General Election, Mr Orengo fought off the NDP wave and got elected MP for Ugenya on a Ford-K ticket.
The victory in the parliamentary seat race heightened the rivalry between him and Mr Odinga, as well as between their supporters, who fought on several occasions.
Police officers intervened when Mr Orengo’s supporters attempted to prevent Mr Odinga from holding a fundraising in Ugunja in 1999.
In 2002, however, the tide turned when Mr Odinga joined forces with Mr Wamalwa to support Mwai Kibaki’s bid to succeed president Daniel Toroitich arap Moi.
The alliance saw Mr Orengo contest the presidency on a Social Democratic Party ticket, finishing a distant fourth with just 24,524 votes.
Mr Kibaki, who ran on a National Rainbow Coalition ticket, garnered 3,646,277 votes against Kanu’s Uhuru Kenyatta who had 1,835,890, with Simeon Nyachae of Ford People getting 345,152 votes.
Mr David Waweru Ng’ethe was last with 10,061 votes.
jjochieng@ke.nationmedia.com
