Orengo-Owalo: Who is Senior-most?

By Ken Ong’wena

Uncalled-for drama played out over the weekend at Bar-chando village in Sakwa, Bondo sub-County when Siaya Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo and ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo were set to address mourners at the burial of the late soccer icon Caesar Awuor Handa.

According to Alego-Usonga MP Samuel Onunga Atandi, Orengo being the head of the County was the senior-most politician at the event and therefore deserved to address the gathering last. Atandi was just right, but interestingly this supposition overlooks certain legal factors.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 laid down the structure of the Government of Kenya as comprising the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature. This is the National Government with a subservient Devolved Government comprising the Executive, County Assembly and Members of the County Executive Committee.

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In the pecking order, the President who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces is technically above the law. The constitution is ambiguous on whether a president in office can be charged in a court of law or not. The rest fall squarely under the ambit of legal structures.

The same structures recognise the National Government as being superior to Devolved arms of government. By dint of legal interpretation the President, the Speaker(s) of the two Houses of Parliament and the Chief Justice are expressly superior to any Governor.

By extension of the same interpretation a Chief agent (here Cabinet Secretary) of the superior authority, in any public function, will be accorded similar honour as the superior authority itself.

While commissioning the Integrated Industrial Park at Got Akara, the master of ceremony Mr. Walter Okello did not doubt in his mind that the CS for Trade Development Moses Kuria would speak last (significantly after Governor Orengo).

On Saturday Bondo Member of Parliament Gideon Ochanda also did not doubt in his mind that protocol was to have Eliud Owalo speak last.

So why did Samuel Atandi prevail upon Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo to change protocol? Politics – pure and simple.

Political pundits would tell you that barely months after swearing that no UDA Party allied operative would speak at a function attended by himself the Governor had to swallow his words.

They will also tell you that the Alego-Usonga MP is a rouble-rouser who survives on attention-seeking and playing one important person against another, just for the heck of it.

That aside, the calmness and composure of CS Owalo and PS Raymond Omollo amid vitriolic verbal attacks from their kinsmen are now painting certain politicians as miserable losers.

Owalo is not a politician persee while serving in the docket of Cabinet Secretary. Orengo is a veteran politician with a long and distinguished career.  The Alego-Usonga MP, therefore, erred in drawing comparisons where none existed.