Orengo: Be hopeful, Raila will be president in future

Siaya governor James Orengo on Friday sold hope of a possible Raila Odinga presidency to the latter’s followers saying that God can still make it happen if it was meant to be.

He was speaking in Ramba and Mahaya in Rarieda constituency where he warned locals against crossing to the Kenya Kwanza government in the guise of pursuing development.

“I want you to remain hopeful because a people without hope cannot get anywhere. A person who abandons his mother’s leaking hut for a neighbour’s glittering house is a stupid fellow,” Orengo said.

The known long-time confidant of Raila uttered these sentiments in apparent reference to some of the leaders from the county who have since abandoned opposition for government.

The leaders include MDG party leader and Ugenya MP David Ochieng and former Rarieda MP Nicholus Gumbo.
Orengo claimed that those who think that President William Ruto’s UDA party is better than Raila’s ODM hold that opinion because of the niceties that go to individual pockets.

He promised that their brigade will struggle, “perpendicularly”, with the people currently in government to ensure that Kenya gets to its desired place of the proverbial milk and honey as was envisaged by the founders of the nation.

“I can tell you that if it is God’s will that RAO is to become the president of the republic of Kenya then that will cannot be taken away. Let us keep the faith,” Orengo urged.

On his part, Rarieda lawmaker Otiende Amollo preached the need for elected leaders to remain in the political parties that sponsored them to Bunge.

“The people elected you in the party where you were because they wanted you in that party. If anything, there were UDA aspirants even in Rarieda whom the electorate could have voted for but they didn’t,” he observed.

And so, Otiende noted that leaders must respect their electorate and remain steadfast in their respective political vehicles.

The legislator said that everyone in the country pay taxes thus qualified to receive government development initiatives as per the dictates of the constitution.

“We will work with government where necessary, cooperate but not go into submission; we will not lie prostate to get development. We will request humbly and when it comes, we take it with thanks.”

Otiende said that, they are to receive with thanks, even the relief food that the government is set to distribute in Rarieda (Aram market) and Ugenya (Sega market) today (Saturday November 12).

The exercise is to be presided over by ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo. The CS hails from Asembo in Rarieda, Siaya county.

On relief food distribution, governor Orengo said, it is the government is constitutionally mandated to protect the right to life especially now that drought and famine is threatening to wipe out people in some parts of the country.

Nobody should cheat you that when the president or minister comes to Siaya then you are obligated to abandon our party ODM and join UDA, Orengo said.

Meanwhile, the two Senior Counsels (Orengo and Otiende), severely criticised the new administration for betraying the country’s hoi polloi contrary to its campaign promises.

The duo observed that President Ruto promised a hustler government but only oligarchs have since become Cabinet Secretaries and Permanent Secretaries.

The poorest member of President Ruto’s cabinet has a net-worth of Ksh80 million and the richest Ksh4 billion.

Orengo and Otiende pooh-poohed at the president saying that he promised a hustler’s grant for start-up businesses but it has since metamorphosed into a loan with a single digit interest.

“The UDA government is now making excuses and even contemplating removal of the limitation of tenure in the office of the president of Kenya,” orengo said.

According to Orengo, limitation of tenure is an important constitutional instrument that should not be abused.

The governor said that Ruto is now talking about veiling cheap smartphones for hustlers yet the laptops that he promised as deputy president in 2013 remain a mystery.

Orengo faulted the criminal justice system for allegedly freeing deputy president Rigathi Gachagua of his corruption case not for any other reason but because he is the second most powerful leader in Kenya.

He said that the courts should be left to determine the merits of a case; not the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

MP Otiende said that all these are diversionary tactics by a government which is clueless on how to lower the cost of living after promising heaven during campaigns.

“They have abandoned the free school programme that they promised and now talking about creation of more counties. These are diversionary tactics and we will not fall for them.”