On Friday last week at around noon a helicopter hovered above Misori “K” Primary School in Hawinga sub-location of Alego-Usonga Constituency.
A contingent of County and national officials with speeding government vehicles had already snaked their way to Otuto on the dyke that joins Dominion Farms with Kombo Beach.
The helicopter hovered, made as if it would land then turned away and flew off.
A journalist representing a national media house who had camped with camera next to the school turned in confusion and looked at a grinning old woman who appeared to know the reason why the helicopter did not land.
Advert“Wonyo mano oneno od Oduol!”, said the wizened woman grinning from ear-to-ear. The helicopter was ferrying Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo with the CS Environment in the national government Soipan Tuya. The lady was poised to see firsthand what environmental degradation means at Lake Kanyaboli.
The journalist got an interpreter who told her that the Governor turned away, ostensibly, because he saw the roof of Siaya Deputy Governor Dr William Oduol’s residence which is two hundred metres from the school. Whether there’s any substance or not in the ol’ woman’s allegations is another matter altogether.
Last evening Siaya County Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo received a report from the vetting committee for the appointment of Chairman to the Siaya Public Service Board.
Consequently Governor Orengo nominated Eng. Collins Juma for approval by the Assembly. Given his vast professional background and outstanding curriculum vitae Engineer Juma who resigned from his position as CEO Kenya Nuclear Energy last June will no doubt get the appointment.
That position was initially held by the late Dr. Elijah Ochieng Achoch, another highly qualified Kenyan who happened to come from Alego-Usonga Constituency. Engineer Collins Juma comes from Gem Constituency. In a manner of speech another docket belonging to the people of Alego-Usonga Constituency has been snatched and taken to Gem.
This follows numerous other instances with a few well-documented being the sidelining of Deputy Governor CPA Dr William Oduol Denge, the sacking of Dr. Julie Onyango and now the cold-shoulder given to MP Samuel Onunga Atandi.
The existing Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) statistics show that Alego-Usonga with 122,002 total of registered voters gave Governor Orengo the highest number of votes. The irrefutable argument that the presence of their son CPA Dr William Oduol Denge on the card influenced this decision is now, neither here nor there.
The truth is that population demographics vis-a-vis revenue and project allocation also indicate a skewed prejudice against Alego-Usonga.
The Usonga half of Alego-Usonga virtually remains unrepresented in the Orengo administration with the few who make a handful occupying middle and low cadre positions.
Usonga is only referenced with soothing rhumba music and virulent bloggers in mind.
A little compensation is that on 28th April, 2024, courtesy of the Nyalore admininistration, for the first time in history Usonga will host a president. Dr. William Samoei Ruto will be commissioning the Siriwo Rice Mill.
Politics is about representation.
Why are enterprising youth with exemplary records eclipsed when it comes to certain competitive appointments? Why is the site at Got Akara earmarked for development of the industrial park silent? Does the county government bother to follow up on the poorly done feeder-roads in Alego-Usonga such as the Sirinde-Odian’ga road? Why is Alego-Usonga getting a blackout on new projects under health, education and environmental conservation?
Collectively, what did the people of Alego-Usonga do to His Excellency James Aggrey Bob Orengo?
dalanews.co.ke https://g.page/r/CerTmAWCtzj4EBM/review¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ÿÛ C