James Aggrey Bob Orengo, dubbed “the Walking Constitution” by ODM supporters, has been one of the former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga’s most dependable allies.
Recently, however, doubts have been raised about his loyalty to the Party, and he is accused of working at odds with the party leadership on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
High-ranking members of the ODM party are accusing Orengo of betrayal and dishonesty after he questioned the authenticity of the BBI document released to the public, as well as the legality and distribution of the proposed 70 new constituencies.
“Orengo was a co-chair of the committee that produced the final Bill. He can’t go back and say we didn’t agree on this or that. He can’t get away from his child. He is essentially attempting to disassociate himself from a document in which he was a co-captain author. “It is the pinnacle of political dishonesty,” said Junet Mohamed, Minority Whip in the National Assembly.
Following the Naivasha retreat with MPs, President Uhuru Kenyatta and the ODM leader formed a committee to fine-tune the Bill. They tasked Mr. Orengo and National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya with co-chairing it.
According to Junet, the committee was the final hand that dealt with the Bill before it went to print.
“I am asking politicians who oppose this, particularly those in our camp, to retrace their steps, as the BBI has done. They might not remember where the country was before BBI.
“Siaya was the first county assembly to pass the BBI Bill, which he (Mr. Orengo) represents in the Senate and oversights; why didn’t he ask them not to pass it if he felt it was a bad deal?” Why was he so quiet while other counties passed it?”
The Siaya Senator is also accused of leading a splinter group of lawmakers, some of whom oppose the party’s position on various issues. His detractors claim he is attempting to establish a rival power base to Raila’s.
Orengo, on the other hand, has denied any rebellion against Raila.
“I want to state unequivocally, without fear or favor, that we are all under Raila Odinga’s control. “It should be understood that there is no political heavyweight in this country comparable to Mr. Odinga,” he stated.
Orengo hosted Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, TJ Kajwang’ (Ruaraka), Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga), and Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay) in his office on Thursday to discuss the BBI report, which was being debated in both houses.
According to our source, the lawmakers were concerned that the original BBI report they compiled in Windsor was not the same one that was presented to the House.
Raila’s handlers accuse him not only of attempting to derail the document he helped write, but also of projecting himself as the sole leader looking after the interests of the Luo community.
“Orengo is a friend and senator, and I pay him visits in his home and office, so what? In 2022, the seat Orengo will be vying for will be vacant, so what are people fighting for? Atandi posed a question and accused some unnamed party leaders of thinking they were more important than others.
“It is our usual adversaries who want to portray infighting within the party.
At the heart of the squabble are a slew of issues ranging from succession politics in Luo Nyanza over who is best suited to take over the mantle of leadership when Raila retires to political survival after the next General Election.
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