Robert Alai Says James Orengo Had to Toe the Line, Meet Ruto to Save His Career: “Tungemuondoa”

• Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai claimed that Siaya governor James Orengo rushed to meet President William Ruto to escape an imminent ouster
• Alai argued that Orengo’s dramatic U-turn was not ideological but a calculated move to cling to power as pressure mounted back home
• He accused Orengo and other ODM veterans of intentionally creating rifts between Raila Odinga and Ruto to keep the party in permanent opposition
• Alai claimed that Orengo mentored him politically by promoting a culture of defiance, branding him a “parrot” who survives through constant government resistance

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has sensationally claimed that Siaya governor James Orengo was on the verge of being ousted before his surprise visit to President William Ruto at State House.

Orengo, who for months dismissed the Kenya Kwanza-ODM alliance as unnecessary, led a high-powered delegation to State House, Nairobi on Thursday, June 5.

It was a complete reversal of his earlier stance that national development was a constitutional right, not a favour to be traded for political allegiance.

Why did Orengo opt to meet Ruto

During an NTV interview, Alai suggested that the dramatic shift by Orengo, a man long considered a pillar of resistance against the broad-based government, was driven not by conviction but by political survival.

Alai, never one to mince words, described Orengo’s political U-turn as a self-preservation tactic meant to avoid an imminent revolt within Siaya County leadership.

He suggested that Orengo's ouster might have been imminent, prompting him to seek an audience with Ruto and avert the risk of being kicked out of office.

"And now the way he went to the state house he was forced; we would have removed him as governor. The parrot is still within him, but if he doesn't play his cards well, he won't come back as the governor of Siaya," Alai claimed bluntly.

How did Orengo mentor Alai

Alai’s reference to Orengo as a "parrot" wasn’t accidental, as he accused the governor and other long-serving ODM leaders of thriving in political chaos.

He claimed they, the parrots, are fueling divisions between ODM party leader Raila Odinga and Ruto for their own ends.

Alai painted them as old guards resistant to change, preferring perpetual opposition as their default strategy.

"They want Baba to fall out with the government, so that we fight on the streets. Orengo is a parrot. Even now, he is a parrot. I started learning about politics through his political school, privately. What he used to tell us was one thing: if you want to succeed in politics, oppose the government that is in power," Alai said, alluding to Orengo’s influence on his own politics.

The outcome of that meeting was significant.

In response to the Siaya delegation’s requests, Ruto pledged billions in development funding, from KSh 1 billion for blue economy projects to KSh2.5 billion for market infrastructure.

Roads, electricity, and educational institutions were also promised attention, with several projects across all six constituencies of Siaya now set for fast-tracking.

Why did Oburu ask Orengo to exit ODM

Earlier, Siaya senator Oburu Odinga criticised dissenting ODM members, particularly Orengo, for opposing the cooperation between Raila and Ruto.

Oburu suggested that those unhappy with the alliance should leave the party, stating that internal critics were "vomiting on us from within" and should instead "vomit from without" to preserve the party's integrity.

He stressed that the collaboration was benefiting the Luo community and urged members to support it.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke