I’m Not Against ODM Appointees to Cabinet, Am Against Non-binding Agreements – James Orengo

“Am not against ODM leaders enlisted for Cabinet slots but concerned of the absence of legal binding contracts that support their absorption into Kenya Kwanza administration,” said Orengo.

Photos by Diblo, Siaya Governor’s Press Unit

Orengo who was speaking in the presence of Azimio leader Raila Odinga said there must be a structural relation tying the leaders with Kenya Kwanza and it’s through such strategy that Kenyans can as well recall them if they fail to perform to their expectations.

“A structure must be put in place to give chance for recalling the Cabinet Secretaries if they perform dismally,” said Orengo.

ODM Party leader Raila while addressing mourners during the burial of the late Siaya lawyer Evans Orwenjo said the leaders left with his blessings and it was so because President William Ruto wanted the governance stalemate that held the country hostage brokered.

John Mbadi was nominated for Treasury CS.

Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho was nominated for Blue Economy while National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi and Former kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya slated for Energy and Cooperative dockets respectively.

“I had agreed to hold a conversation first, to sort out the many problems bedeviling this country before we opt for a unity government but President Ruto said the country was in a crisis and could not run it without CSs. That’s why he needed experts from our wing to help run the government and its through such grounds that I released them,” Raila told the mourners, adding “The released experts must work in accordance to the ethics of our party ODM and Azimio coalition.”

He added that the national conversation must continue.

“We had also raised certain conditions to be met before we embark on the dialogue including withdrawing charges levelled against innocent Kenyans who participated in the protests, compensating kins of victims of protest and arresting and prosecuting officers who ended lives of Kenyans with bullets.”

Raila said even grey areas of the constitution should be re-looked into afresh with a view of amending them.

On Friday Orengo had warned ODM leaders yet to be vetted for lucrative positions that the posts could be a political trap.

Orengo recalled that during the regime of ex-president Daniel Moi, Robert Ouko was also endorsed and appointed on a lucrative post and every function that was attended by Moi, Ouko could be noticed beside him but he did not last long.

“Ouko was slaughtered like a hen,” said Orengo, warning “those who are quick to reap should stay warned.”

Orengo said that Ruto referred to Hassan Joho at a function in Mombasa on Friday as his own CS and not “our” implying ODM Party played no role in seconding him.

“It will be so unfortunate if president Ruto decides to dismiss his cabinet and we lack the legal binding document supporting the union. In the era of the Grand-Coalition government it was impossible for ex-president Mwai Kibaki to sack any cabinet secretary without approval of Raila because there was a binding document,” said Orengo who is also an accomplished constitutional lawyer.

Orengo noted that those who are against Gen Zs should think twice because even during the era of the doyen of Kenya’s opposition Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the opinions of the young were usually sought citing Gitobu Imanyara, as an example.

“I want to plead with Kenyans including those celebrating the CS posts to know that we recently buried lives that were ended with gunshots and others are suffering gun-shot wounds in fact in Siaya alone we have 20 families affected by the recent protests,” Orengo said.

Orengo challenged the church to rise up and speak against wrongs perpetrated by the Kenya Kwanza regime.

He said the church had failed the nation by remaining silent in the face of the current crisis but it could redeem itself by rising up and speaking against injustice.