FACT CHECK: Did EACC Detectives Raid the Home of Siaya Governor James Orengo on Friday?

Sensational news that Siaya Governor James Orengo’s home had been raided by the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission on Friday morning has met mixed reactions.

When the news surfaced online at around 10 am on Friday 5 December 2024, it was written off as one of the propaganda plots of a team of online warriors whose mission has increasingly been to discredit the Governor and his administration. 

The information was immediately flagged FAKE by another team that has been fanatically selling the Nyalore admininistration’s policies.

Committed to factual reporting DalanewsKe contacted the Governor’s office and was told: “Such a raid only happened in the fertile imagination of the originators of such uncreative propaganda”.

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But the information continues to simmer with certain sources selling the hypothesis that the raid was meant to be an undercover operation that was blown out inadvertently.

These are the facts: As of late December 2023 the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission has been investigating the Executive at Siaya County Government for embezzlement of KES 400 million through claims of allowances for training and official public engagements, which were never held.

Twelve employees of the Siaya County government were recommended to be charged with various offences of corruption and economic crimes.

Top on that list was a Mr. Hezron Opiyo, an Accountant attached to the Department of Finance and Economic Planning. Mr. Opiyo allegedly received KES 18,980,830 that was deposited to his account through irregular applications.

The EACC further indicated that Siaya was among 10 counties that were on its radar of investigations for corruption. Infact there was talk that arrests would follow, possibly in January.

Given the above scenario; could it be possible that the EACC paid the Head of Siaya County Government a visit at his home that ended up being termed a raid? Could it be possible that Governor Orengo’s detractors played on an ordinary protocol to heighten speculation over the cause of the visit?

The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission’s regional Director has branded the news officially as FAKE. So why is the same information continuing to percolate and excite conversation in political WhatsApp groups within Siaya County?

Whatever it was DalanewsKe is determined to get to the bottom of the story and will be bringing regular updates on the same, when and as it develops.