By The Weekly Vision Team
A secret deal between Siaya Governor James Orengo and Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) that was signed just before the botched impeachment of Deputy Governor William Oduol, has come back to haunt the governor. According to sources well versed in the happenings at the assembly, there were promises and pledges made to the MCAs by Governor Orengo if the impeachment against Oduol had succeeded.
The MCAs now claim that they did their part and successfully impeached the DG, only for the Senate to rescind their decision. Sources say Orengo had made several pledges to MCAs, many of which he is now unable to fulfil hence the threats of impeachment. Siaya County Assembly Speaker George Okode, who is claimed to have accorded the impeachment his full support, is said to be very bitter with the governor.
As things stand now, the relationship between Orengo and the county assembly is acidic, with the speaker leading the onslaught. One big issue that is now threatening the governor’s tenure in office is the promise that he was going to give out tenders to the MCAs. This has, however, not happened, and MCAs are bitter as tenders are being dished out to ‘outsiders’.
The relationship between Orengo and the MCAs is so bad to the extent that during a recent funeral, some o of the MCAs declined to shake the governor’s hand saying he could not be trusted. Last week, there were rumours that some MCAs had started to collect signatures for his impeachment. But other sources say a high-level secret meeting was held and the brain behind the move was convinced to drop the idea.
It was Speaker Okode who came out to denounce the planned impeachment, saying his office hadn’t received the motion to impeach the governor. Sources say Orengo had promised the MCAs that he would be given greater control of the multimillion-dollar projects being implemented in their wards.
The MCAs are now said to be holding the governor at ransom, coercing him to accede to their demands, failing which they would impeach him. The MCAs are said to be bitter that Orengo has backtracked on his pre-election promise that they will take charge of all development projects in their wards.
The governor, through his allies, has hit back at the MCAs, saying he cannot bend procurement rules to award their companies tenders. The fact of the matter is that the relationship between Orengo and the MCAs has been rosy, and the only thing that is likely to make him escape impeachment is that his deputy, who is supposed to automatically succeed him, is also their enemy number one.
There have been calls by Siaya professionals that ODM leader Raila Odinga should convene an urgent meeting to reconcile the MCAs and Orengo before the matter gets out of hand.
