In an interesting twist of events, an impeachment bill meant to curb ODM’s major political rival Mr Ruto is now coming back to raise questions and fears amongst the party’s loyalists.
Siaya Senator James Orengo is now raising deep suspicion among close allies of ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga following his bizzare proposal to introduce an impeachment bill against Deputy President William Ruto.
The veteran legislator has of late been wrongly referred to as an Odinga kitchen cabinet member but the truth is, Orengo has drawn further and further away from the centre of power following his nocturnal dalliances with DP Ruto.
The Odinga family is particularly wary of Orengo since the Siaya Senator had in the course of 2018 persistently tried and failed to get emissaries sent by DP Ruto to meet with Raila and his influential brother Oburu Odinga, in what pundits said was an attempt to forge a working relationship to defeat Kikuyus.
Observers of political goings on in ODM who spoke to to a local printing media lamented on the contradiction and quickly concluded it to be a change of tact by DP Ruto’s handlers who are increasingly feeling the pressure of the on-going anti-corruption purge.
Orengo is said to have lost his position as Odinga’s main man just after mis-advising Raila to skip the 2017 repeat elections something that many analysts observes as a wrong political advice.
The change of fortune in Orengo’s life especially in the period of the run-up to the 2017 elections and the immediate aftermath led to questions about his source of wealth and generousity which had never been witnessed before in his four decade political career.
Unknown to James Orengo, as far back as early 2018, Raila had already been tipped of Orengo’s position as a sleeper agent within ODM and had already started to exclude him in strategic meetings.
Evidence that Orengo had fallen out with Raila came during the surprise handshake between Uhuru and Raila in March 2018. Eyebrows were raised when Orengo, who was always automatic choice for any political move Raila did, was unexpectedly left out, with Kikuyu lawyer Paul Mwangi being picked as Raila’s Joint Secretary to the Building Bridges Initiative(BBI).
Later in September 2018, Orengo’s rebellion was growing more daring when he,in cahoots with Ruto, openly marshalled MPs in the national assembly from both the ruling Jubilee party and opposition NASA to defy their party official positions on the controversial finance bill and vote against President Kenyatta’s desperate tax proposals.
It took the speaker’s interve for the bill to sail through but sent a strong message to both Raila and Uhuru. A rebellious parliament was a threat to BBI.
Recently Orengo was widely quoted in media as saying that the BBI was nothing but an agreement Uhuru had made to support Raila to run for president in 2022. Orengo’s reckless statement, took party supporters by surprise and reportedly upset the ODM Party Leader.
Whereas the ODM Chairman John Mbadi dismissed Orengo’s sentiments, Raila is said to have personally caller Orengo and given him a serious dressing down.
Within ODM itself, Orengo has increasingly shown raw ambition to become Siaya Governor and has spent a fortune trying to market his suitability. A survey by Kenyan News Day shows that the proposal to have Orengo as the next Siaya Governor does not sit well with the local residents who point to his pitiful development record and consistent disloyalty
But the motivation behind the impeachment motion as been secretly discussed in Orengo’s private Offices as Lonrho House together with MPs Elisha Odhiambo, Sam Atandi and Otiende Amolo. Also present in the meeting were lawyers Norman Magaya Edwin Sifuna, and Nelson Havi.
According to a source close to the DP’s office, the scheme to have a senior ODM legislator stir waters in that party is part of a long term strategy to keep Raila Odinga and his ODM legislators busy while at the same time politically uplifting Ruto’s national profile.
The DP is reported to have no qualms arranging stipend payments to James Orengo and a group of ODM legislators and several young lawyers affiliated to ODM so long as the Siaya Senator is cooperative in keeping Raila busy.
So generous has the DP been with ODM legislators led by Orengo that he has regularly facilitated for chopper rides for Orengo and his colleagues over the last one year.
In addition, Orengo has sent messengers to routinely collect brown envelopes from Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who is Orengo’s colleague in the Senate. One of the messengers is Raila Odinga’s Spokesman Dennis Onyango who favourite venue is Yaya Centre multi-storey car park.
Professional colleagues have repeatedly questioned Orengo’s I after he represented numerous governors accused of corruption in court. Third Way Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot has termed this a brazen conflict of interest and demanded that Orengo should not serve as Senate Minority Leader nor sit in any senate committee, least those that control finances to counties.