State House talks mark Orengo's silent shift to Ruto, Raila wing

Siaya Governor James Orengo put aside his differences with President William Ruto as he lobbied for national government projects in his county.

Orengo, who led a delegation of Siaya politicians and businesspeople that met  Ruto at the State House in Nairobi, presented a memorandum detailing multi-billion shilling projects to be implemented in the county’s six constituencies.

The memorandum, which bore Orengo’s signature, adopted a conciliatory tone, much the opposite of the governor’s abrasiveness in dealing with the Kenya Kwanza administration over its many faults.

Orengo, who has insisted that national government projects were not favours but a right of every Kenyan, asked the Head of State to help unlock funding for projects.

Yesterday, insiders who attended the meeting confided to The Standard that while Orengo did not pledge any allegiance to the government, he appeared subdued.

"He steered away from politics and only restricted himself to the Memorandum of Understanding that leaders from Siaya had developed," said a leader who attended the meeting.

“This meeting serves as a clear testament to our collective commitment to the constitutional principles that underpin our system of governance. It underscores our dedication to a legal and structured framework for cooperation between the two levels of government - national and county government,” Orengo wrote in the memorandum, terming the meeting “a constructive dialogue.”

“This memorandum seeks to explore collaborative pathways of harnessing Your Excellency’s goodwill to unlock the vast economic potential of Siaya County in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Kenya Vision 2030,” he added.

On social media, he would say they “explored partnership opportunities aimed at strengthening collaboration between the National and County Governments to foster inclusive development and enhance service delivery for the people of Siaya.”

The Standard established that the meeting was devoid of the charged politics that have featured in recent weeks and focused on development issues, with the President invited to tour Siaya soon.

Last week, the President skipped Siaya in his tour of Nyanza. It was not immediately clear why he did not visit the county. He also skipped Migori, owing to supremacy battles between Governor Ochillo Ayacko and the county’s lawmakers.

In his county, Orengo has mostly been left isolated over his opposition to Ruto, with requests to meet the Head of State snubbed. The county boss had written to Ruto to request a meeting with a delegation from Siaya.

Frustrated, the county’s elected politicians have sought an audience independently and sought to engage the President through Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, who attended yesterday’s meeting.

The proposed projects presented yesterday include road construction and affordable housing projects, as well as investments in the health, education, agriculture and water sectors. Other investments will target the fishing industry, vibrant in the Nyanza region.

In a social media post, Ruto committed Sh2.5 billion towards constructing 16 markets in Siaya County and Sh1.6 billion to connect over 16,000 households to electricity. The memorandum also wants hill tops to be gazetted as protected areas in afforestation efforts.

Alego Usonga’s wish list contains 18 proposed projects, with the completion of the first phase of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga stadium topping the Samuel Atandi-led constituency’s priority. Other proposals include the acceleration of Ruto’s flagship affordable housing project and the operationalisation and funding of the county’s industrial park.

Orengo wants the government to upgrade several roads in the county to bitumen standard, complete Phase One of the Lower Nzoia Irrigation project by November, citing a Sh997 million funding gap, and the upgrading of the Siaya County Referral Hospital.

Other proposed investments target rice farming and the construction of modern markets, as well as the rehabilitation of the Gombe airstrip.

In Bondo, which is led by Gideon Ochanda, Orengo proposed 17 projects that span the construction and upgrading of several roads, as well as the construction of modern fish markets in Usenge. Similarly, the construction of affordable housing units features, as does the modernisation of the Bondo Level 4 Hospital.

Also critical is the completion of the Integrated Port and market complex at Usenge, which Ruto made a promise on.

“We will invest Sh1 billion to develop the Usenge Pier and the attendant port infrastructure to stimulate the blue economy in the region,” Ruto posted on his social media handles.

The Elisha Odhiambo-led Gem, too, listed road construction projects as well as the construction of an Economic Stimulus Programme markets in Yala, the development of the Odera Akang’o University Campus in its 10-point wish list.

In Rarieda, represented by Otiende Amollo, Orengo proposed the construction of the Luanda Kotieno modern fish market and fish landing sites, hostels for the constituency’s teachers and medical colleges, Madiany Cotton Ginnery, as well as the upgrading and construction of roads.

Rarieda, which lobbied for 12 distinct projects, wants the Asembo Bay pier developed to boost the area’s blue economy.

Orengo presented 14 projects for consideration in Ugenya, which include the revival of the Anyiko-Ujwanga-Kathieno irrigation scheme to boost rice production, the construction of a cotton ginnery in West Ugenya and a trailer park in Sega.

The David Ochieng’-led constituency also lobbied for affordable housing units and hostels at its different training colleges, the rehabilitation of the Sega Airstrip and the construction of markets and roads.

Ugunja, formerly led by Wandayi, sought eight projects, which include the dualling of the Ugunja highway, the construction of affordable housing units, and markets across the constituency.

“The projects outlined herein represent both the ambition and pressing needs of Siaya County and hold significant potential to transform livelihoods, stimulate economic activity and contribute to national development. With Your Excellency’s continued support and leadership, we are confident that these interventions will meaningfully transform our county and contribute to national development,” said Orengo.

He wants the projects listed in the national development agenda for the upcoming financial year, seeking conditional grants for projects in infrastructure, irrigation, agroprocessing and housing.

Ruto said the government will build 16 markets in the county for Sh2.5 billion, while Sh1.6 billion has been set aside for the last-mile electricity programme to connect 16,000 households.

He announced that the government will further invest Sh1 billion to develop blue economy infrastructure, including Usenge Pier and attendant port facilities at KSh600 million and a fish market at Sh400 million.

"We are looking for another Sh500 million to enable us to connect another 5,000 households to electricity," Ruto said in a statement to Newsrooms.

In agriculture, the President explained that Siaya, among other counties, would benefit from the government's revival programme of cotton farming, a sector that holds great potential to create thousands of jobs and incomes for farmers.

"We export $500 million (Sh65 billion) worth of textile products to the United States annually, but we import most of the textiles used to make the garments. This must change," he said.

The President disclosed that the African Export-Import Bank (Afriexim) would inject an initial Sh20 billion to revive the cotton industry.

On the expansion of Odera Akang'o University, President Ruto said the government would finalise the plan to acquire more land for the institution, and at the same time, complete stalled infrastructure projects at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology.

He expressed his gratitude to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for agreeing to work with him in the broad-based government.

"Whenever we have found ourselves at a crossroads as a country, Baba, being the great statesman that he is, has always taken bold decisions in the best interest of this nation," Ruto said, adding, "Our transformative programs, including the leasing of public sugar factories to make them profitable, would not have been possible without the broad-based government," he said.

In his last week's visit to Nyanza, Ruto skipped Siaya, with residents and observers believing the move was a result of Orengo's persistent criticisms of the Kenya Kwanza government.

According to Senator Oburu Oginga, any noise from their backyard was bound to derail development and he pleaded with the leaders to support the government.

Similarly, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi also appeared to suggest that the region was ready to support Ruto's reelection bid because of how he has treated the region since they mended fences with him.

"The president has demonstrated utmost sincerity with our community," he said, adding that they will not forget him at the appropriate time.

Additional reporting by Olivia Odhiambo and Harold Odhiambo