Orengo now under pressure from Siaya MCAs
Politics
By
Isaiah Gwengi
| Apr 15, 2026
A storm is brewing in Siaya after Members of the County Assembly of Siaya turned the heat on Governor James Orengo, accusing his administration of failing to implement critical development projects despite the passage of the 2025/2026 budget, with barely two months left before the close of the financial year.
The backlash marks a sharp shift from the Assembly’s earlier posture, which had drawn criticism from sections of residents and civil society groups who accused MCAs of going to bed with the Executive and abdicating their oversight role.
But in a heated debate triggered by a motion tabled by Central Gem MCA Sylas Madingu, MCAs across the county now appear keen to distance themselves from the Executive, insisting they have done their part and should not be blamed for stalled projects.
Reacting to the motion, East Gem MCA Seth Baraka admitted that the Assembly is already bearing the political cost of the delays.
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“It’s hurting us as the people elected. We are the ones being blamed for non-implementation, yet we have done our part as the Assembly. We must now establish whether there is somebody trying to sabotage the county government,” he said.
West Sakwa MCA Turphosa Osewe said the prolonged inaction had left MCAs exposed.
“We passed a budget and have waited for a year for it to be implemented. It is a sad state of affairs for elected leaders,” she noted.
Osewe's sentiments were echoed by her North Ugenya counterpart Ben Adalla, who questioned the rationale of proceeding with a supplementary budget amid glaring implementation gaps.
“It will be ironical to pass a supplementary budget for a budget that has not been implemented. All roads in my ward are in a bad state as we speak, and street lights are not working across the county,” he said.
The standoff now threatens to spill into the budget-making process, with Yala Township MCA William Kinyayi warning that the Assembly may block further financial approvals.
“We are not going to discuss the supplementary budget without implementation of the budget we already passed,” he said.
The political stakes were further underscored by South Sakwa MCA Eunice Ndolo, who warned that failure to act could cost leaders their seats in the next election.
“This is a ticket to sending us home. We are failing those who elected us if we don’t take action,” she cautioned.
Meanwhile, West Uyoma MCA Justus Oguta pointed to specific stalled projects, citing the Madiany Cotton Ginnery in his ward, which he said remains unimplemented despite assurances from the governor during his State of the County address.
The Assembly has since signalled its intention to summon County Executive officials to explain the delays, in what could set the stage for a renewed confrontation between the two arms of government.