President William Ruto and Siaya Governor James Orengo share a light moment in Urenga, Siaya County on October 6, 2023 during the first day of the Head of State's tour of Nyanza.
Firebrand politician James Orengo is fighting off isolation scheme by Siaya elected leaders in a planned State House meeting with President William Ruto.
This even as details of a letter by the county boss requesting for development projects from the Head of State emerged.
In public, Governor Orengo has become one of the fiercest critics of President Ruto’s administration while insisting that national development projects to the county are a matter of right which requires no ‘kneeling down’.
But in the letter dated April 17, 2025, he “respectfully’ asked for a consultative meeting between a delegation from Siaya led by him and the President to discuss ‘key development matters’ affecting the county.
The Nation has learnt that the request was not granted due to his recent outbursts forcing Siaya MPs to seek a parallel engagement with the President.
Mr Orengo has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of the working arrangement between President Ruto and his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga.
President Willam Ruto confers with ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ODM and UDA at Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi on March 07, 2025.
On Sunday, a meeting convened by Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi in Nairobi, and attended by a majority of MPs from the county identified projects for discussion with the President.
It was attended by Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, Woman Rep Christine Ombaka, MPs Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Samuel Atandi and Otiende Amolo (Rarieda). Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo and David Ochieng’ (Ugenya) did not attend as they were out of the country, but were briefed on the resolutions.
The meeting, in consultation with the State House, agreed to hold the consultative meeting with the President on Wednesday, May 14.
On Tuesday, however, the MPs were informed that the meeting had been pushed to a later date with sources indicating that Governor Orengo reached out to Mr Odinga to intervene. He reportedly claimed of a scheme to have him isolated ahead of the 2027 General Elections. Mr Orengo is currently out of the county, according to a county official, who spoke off record.
“We were to go to the State House tomorrow (Wednesday). So what we were doing on Sunday was to firm up some of the projects we want the national government to give priority. We wanted to be clear on what to present to the President, but we have just been told it has been postponed” said MP Ochanda.
He denied plans to isolate Governor Orengo, noting that the county boss did not attend the Sunday meeting since he is out of the country. “He is one of the Siaya county leaders, and he will definitely attend.”
Consultative meeting
In his letter to President Ruto, Mr Orengo proposed the last week of April for the consultative meeting. He sought to have the President meet a delegation of all elected leaders as well as Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries from Siaya county.
“I write to respectfully request an audience with you on behalf of county government of Siaya and delegation of leaders from Siaya county comprising of Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries hailing from Siaya County, all Members of Parliament from the county, the Speaker and Members of the Siaya County Assembly Leadership and the members of the Siaya County Executive Committee,” Mr Orengo said in the letter dated April 17, 2025.
The letter obtained by the Nation adds, “The purpose of the meeting is to engage you on key development matters affecting Siaya County and to explore collaborative pathways through which the National Government and the County Government can work together to accelerate socio-economic growth for our people.”
President William Ruto shares a light moment with Siaya Governor James Orengo and Senator Oburu Oginga at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology on January 14, 2023.
“We kindly propose the last week of April 2025 for this engagement, but we remain fully amenable to a date and time that may be convenient to your calendar. We are confident that this engagement will mark a significant step forward in the spirit of national unity, inclusivity, and service delivery to the citizen of Siaya County and Kenya at large,” he went on.
Mr Orengo wrote the letter barely a week after going on a tirade against broad based government during Mr Odinga’s bodyguard burial on April 12, in an event attended by both Mr Odinga and President Ruto.
“…I urge you, praise singing will not take us anywhere, I urge you to tell your leader the truth. I don’t do song praise. This country will go to the dogs again if the kind of language I’m hearing here continues. If we have something being brought to Siaya, it is a matter of right, not that we are being given as a favour,” Mr Orengo charged at the President.
Mr Orengo has found himself caught up in a political power play over his criticism of the broad-based government. He is increasingly being isolated by close allies of Mr Odinga being a fierce critic of the broad-based government.
The sustained onslaught against Mr Orengo by the ODM brigade has continued to play up in the last couple of days, including during President William Ruto’s recent tour of Migori.
During Dr Ruto’s Migori tour, Mr Odinga’s elder brother, Oburu Oginga, dared the governor to leave the party if he is opposed to the political truce between ODM and UDA. Dr Oburu is known to speak Mr Odinga’s mind.
"What truth?"
“When my governor stands up and says he is annoyed, I don’t know with whom, and claims he just wants to speak the truth, I ask myself: what truth? Those who think this broad-based government is wrong are vomiting on us from within. Why don’t they step outside and vomit there?” posed Mr Oburu, the Siaya Senator.
"If you want to fight there is a space where you can do that, for us, our people are waiting for these services. It is our time to work and our people are waiting for it and not to eat anybody's shares," he added.
In the same event, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the region should ignore Governor Orengo, saying those in support of the broad-based are the ones speaking Mr Odinga’s mind.
“If you want to read Raila’s political mood, listen to Oburu, Junet, and me. We are moving forward, not backward,” said Mr Mbadi.
Speaking in Sigomere in Ugunja last week, Mr Wandayi also hit out at Mr Orengo, describing his style of leadership as ‘embarrassing’.
“The Governor should be concentrating on completing such projects rather than engaging in political grandstanding,” said Mr Wandayi.
It would not be the first time the vocal politician is taking a different political path away from Mr Odinga, having in the past severed links with Mr Odinga, in decisions that some later turned costly for his political ambition.
Having been first elected to Parliament in 1980, Mr Orengo has had an on-and-off political relationship with Mr Odinga. Rivalry between the two politicians first played out during the leadership struggle over the control of Ford-Kenya following the death of Jaramogi Oginga.
Kijana Wamalwa is congratulated by James Orengo after he was elected unopposed as the chairman of Ford Kenya at Thika Municipal Stadium.
In the power struggle, Mr Orengo sided with the late Kijana Wamalwa against Mr Odinga. The power struggle would run for about two years before Mr Odinga decamped and formed his National Development Party.
The struggle in Ford Kenya after the death of Jaramogi was also an indication of another struggle over who was to succeed Jaramogi as the Luo leader between Mr Odinga and Mr Orengo. Having been a close confidant of the late Jaramogi, Mr Orengo believed he was the best bet in becoming the region’s kingpin.
In the subsequent 1997, Mr Orengo was elected on Ford-K ticket while Mr Odinga was elected as an MP in his new party.
The rivalry between the two also played out in 2002 when Mr Orengo again went against Mr Odinga by running for the presidency of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he finished a distant fourth. In the election, Mr Odinga backed Mwai Kibaki who won the newly formed National Rainbow Coalition (Narc).
Mr Orengo would later remain in the political cold until 2007 when he joined Mr Odinga, who ran against President Mwai Kibaki. The presidential election result was disputed leading to the formation of grand coalition government in which Mr Odinga appointed him Minister of Lands, serving from 2008 to 2013
He has since remained in Mr Odinga’s fold, and served as Siaya Senator for two terms from 2013 to 2022 before being elected governor during the August 2022 general election.
