NAIROBI, Kenya- Siaya Governor James Orengo has dismissed claims of a personal feud with ODM Party leader Oburu Oginga, insisting that his disagreements stem from concerns over constitutional and procedural issues within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Speaking during an interview on Wednesday, Orengo said the dispute revolves around the party’s leadership succession process following the death of longtime ODM leader Raila Odinga.
“I don’t have beef with Oburu Oginga; it is not a personal thing,” Orengo said.
The Siaya Governor argued that ODM failed to adhere to its constitution after the death of the party leader, claiming one of the deputy party leaders should have automatically assumed interim leadership pending elections.
“What we are saying is that ODM must live true to its founding principles, and it also must live by the Constitution that says when a death occurs of a party leader, one of the three deputy party leaders would become the interim party leader until the elections are held,” he stated.
“That did not happen. That original sin cannot be cured in any form or shape other than the delegates coming together and electing a new party leader.”
Orengo went further to declare himself ODM’s “de facto” leader, arguing that the absence of formal party elections had created a leadership vacuum.
“But because we cannot have a vacuum, I am the de facto party leader of ODM, and we have a movement within ODM called Linda Mwananchi,” he said.
The remarks are likely to deepen divisions within the opposition party, which has recently faced growing internal tensions over its leadership direction and relationship with President William Ruto.
Orengo accused several senior ODM figures, including Gladys Wanga, Simba Arati, Abdulswamad Nassir, and Junet Mohamed, of attempting to “sell” the party by engaging with President Ruto on ODM leadership matters.
“I can predict that they could not be sitting with a stranger, and President Ruto is a stranger in the affairs of ODM, making a decision about who leads the party. He can only do that because he has bought into the party,” Orengo alleged.
His comments came barely a day after ODM publicly accused him of misleading the party over legal fees linked to litigation involving the Political Parties Fund.
In a strongly worded statement, ODM alleged that Orengo improperly benefited from legal fees amounting to Sh40 million after handling a case related to the party’s claim for Sh12 billion from the Political Parties Fund.
According to the party, the National Executive Committee initiated the claim process before Orengo was brought in to assist with litigation.
ODM further alleged that instead of directly handling the matter through his own law firm, Orengo introduced the law firm of lawyer Julie Soweto, which later billed the party for legal services.
“Following the Party’s success in the High Court in 2016 and subsequently in the Court of Appeal in 2018, demands for legal fees began to be made. Ms Soweto’s Law firm was paid Sh40 million by the party,” ODM said in its statement.
The party claimed the payments shocked the late Raila Odinga, who allegedly questioned Orengo’s conduct over the matter.
ODM also disclosed that the dispute later escalated into a civil case at the High Court involving claims for additional legal fees amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings.
