Orengo, tread carefully on broad-based politics

Siaya Governor James Orengo is one of the harshest critics of the Orange Democratic Movement and party leader Raila Odinga’s ties with President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration under the broad-based arrangement.

His scathing attacks on the President and fellow ODM leader depicts the party as divided. Because of his seniority in the party and his leading credentials, Orengo’s stanches undermine Raila’s own rationale for entering the 10 point agreement with President Ruto. It threatens party cohesion and undermines Raila’s leadership by sowing confusion among party supporters.

This criticism undermines positions taken by ODM’s top organs and the national stability created by the broad based arrangement. By so doing he is also inciting doubts in ODM’s and Raila’s commitment to the broad based arrangement among the President’s supporters.

Orengo has questioned the President’s commitment to devolution, human rights and the rule of law and alleged a plot to rig the coming general elections. He accuses CSs, originally from ODM and key party members of singing Ruto’s praises at the expense of oversight and public accountability.

There is some merit to Orengo’s concern but history from the start of the agitation for democracy which he partook in in the mid 1980s and early 1990s teaches that a noble struggle can be undermined by the choice of wrong strategy and faulty tactics and when one joins ranks with treacherous players posing as champions of egalitarianism.

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Orengo should not soil his record by joining such ranks. He must also not appropriate the Gen Z and overestimate his support within this demographic. Veterans of the struggles for freedom are all committed to the ideals of the Gen Z agitation and are hand in glove with them.

Orengo’s own record shows that, through haste, wild idealism and wrong strategies he has made catastrophic mistakes that almost ended his illustrious political career until Raila rescued him. In the past Orengo, regrettably, joined false friends and contrived narratives, a mistake he appears too keen to repeat, now.

Raila has made it clear that ODM remains distinct and has only joined hands with the Ruto administration for specific outcomes in the 10 point strategy and to stabilise the country in the wake of the June 25, 2024 Gen Z revolt. No doubt Kenya was headed for collapse as a nation state had Raila not joined Ruto after the Gen Z revolt.

Raila has made such historic compromises before including after the disputed 2007 and 2017 presidential elections when he put national and patriotic pragmatism above the idealism Orengo is espousing.

Raila often made such sacrifices after being betrayed by the treacherous and selfish within the Opposition, some of who are circling the wagons around him again, today. A vivid example was the betrayal that happened with the Kibaki side of NARC after the historic 2002 elections.

All manner of cunning politicians, religious leaders and civil society have harped on Raila’s personal sacrifices and commitment to democracy to achieve power only to sideline him and his bases to show their true selves after achieving power, a fact Orengo knows very well.

Raila has not changed his ideals in seeking a reproachment with Ruto. He is acknowledging a fact of life that Ruto is the legal President and hence there is no need to engage in endless potential and divisive agitation when peace and stability can be achieved through peaceful engagement.

Ruto himself has reciprocated by rehabilitating the previously marginalised ODM bases including Nyanza region through public appointments and infrastructure development.

Until the next presidential election, Ruto remains the president, and all, including Orengo, must live with it.

There is everything to gain from the current arrangement however small, given that past administrations have marginalised Nyanza, totally and Ruto is showing openness for Nyanza. Besides there is no harm in Nyanza and Raila’s followers trying new strategies and tactics if these bring hope and fruits. 

-The writer is a reforms advocate and founder chairman of Ford Youth Congress