ARE ORENGO AND NYON'GO UNDERMINING ODM?

By Phil
« Thread Started Wednesday at 7:32pm »

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As professionals, Messrs James Orengo and Anyang Nyongo are senior counsel and professor of political science.

In ODM circles Prof. Nyongo heads the secretariat as Secretary General while Orengo is effectively its head of Legal Affairs.

In Government, both were appointed ministers - Orengo to Lands and Nyongo to Health Services, courtesy of the ODM half loaf in the coalition arrangement.

But since they joined ODM and got cozy with the party leader Prime Minister Raila Odinga, what have the two gentlemen delivered in return to the ODM as a party and to its leadership which has placed so much faith on them?

The two, both of whom hail from Luo Nyanza, have been variously accused by ODM from outside Nyanza of ringfencing the Prime Minister and giving him bad advise that eventually has led to unpopular and poor decision making from the Prime Minister. A case in point is the irrecoverable break down of relationship between the prime minister as ODM party leader and pentagon members William Ruto, Najib Balala and perhaps Charity Ngilu. Although the two have accused the Prime Minister of dictatorship and lack of consultation within the party, their real problem has been the Prime Minister ceased consulting them and instead opted to follow the advise of Nyongo and Orengo thus rendering them mere figureheads.

These are questions that will raise heat among the ODM rank and file but nonetheless, we must ask them and expect answers from those who care about the party.

Orengo was key member of the ODM Serena team that played a significant role in crafting the AGENDA4 that gave birth to the NARA and eventually the coalition government. But has the NARA served the interests of ODM and the Prime Minister as well as the country at large? Has the NARA been effective in harmonising government operations and service delivery tot he people? Every other Kenyan knows the NARA has been a source of conflict and disagreement, perhaps mainly due to dishonesty among the principals, but is that all?

As ODM-SG, the self-styled professor of political science Peter Anyang Nyongo, who is known to enjoy lunch at five-star Serena Hotel, has presided over the secretariat of the once dominant political party with an iron fist and dictatorial attitude. Potential members, especially those soliciting for the party ticket in by-elections are not treated very well esecially if they are unknowns. Even during Nyongo's recent hospitalisation for cancer treatment, party officials at the secretariat were unable to move anything forward key among them being postponement of the party grassroot elections. In all sense and purposes, life for ODM came to a standstill because the SG was away in the USA.

Besides that, and this is one of the saddest moments for the party, Nyongo's management of the secretariat has seen the unpopular and illegal introduction of controversial direct nomination of party candidates through the back door. Why has one man been allowed to make such drastic decisions and then misleading the party leadership to endorse these unpopular and illegal resolutions?

Coming back to the IDP question, just what exactly is Orengo's role in inhibiting the siwft resettlement of IDPs? Is it really correct that Treasury is frustrating the Lands ministry as Orengo claims, or is it Orengo who is not giving the IDP question the priority it deserves.

I have seen Orengo attend parliament over the last three years but I am yet to hear him rise on a point of order or even make a ministerial statement on this IDP matter which perhaps remains the most outstanding task of the grand coalition government. He may say that this is the duty of the Special Programmes ministry, so the question still remains, why has he not made the land available? Even more importantly, why is the Prime Minister defending him rather than admonish him and other concerned ministries for delaying the IDP resettlement?

Will there be any change on the IDP question if for instance Orengo is sacked and the portfolio given to another MP? What if the party secretary general is voted out and replaced by a more practical and accommodating individual?

Why is it that it only Nyongo's signature that is being 'forged' when controversial correspondence alleged to have originated from the party are leaked tot he media? How easy is it to impersonate Nyongo and what is he doing as a person to make it difficult to protect his position as party head of secretariat? Why did Nyongo become hostile in opposing the resolutions of the parliamentary group which resolved to make a political decision to announce the party would be hiring lawyers for its members summoned by the ICC? What was there to lose - apart from placating the RV nation - in getting a set of lawyer for Arap Sang or Henry Kosgey?

As a political scientist, what has been his role in ensuring the party has a visible and effective legislative agenda, and that the party's input in felt by the public right across the board? Apart from providing sound advise to the party leadership and membership, one could have expected Nyongo to be at the forefront in enhancing visibility and popularity of the party through membership drives and workshops.

In the meantime, the party is losing support in key regions and in the eve of an election year, there is no semblance of a party that would be likened to a government-in-waiting.

Together with Ida Odinga and Jakoyo Midiwo, Orengo and Nyongo are said to make up Raila's inner circle (or kitchen cabinet) and they are not doing the party nor its leadership any favours. Is Raila too blinded to notice? Is this what Balala referred to when he said that the prime minister had betrayed them? Incidentally all the four members of the kitchen cabinet are said to be eyeing key governor and senator positions in the next elections.

It has been three years of the grand coalition and matters are only getting from bad to worse for the party and its leadership. Is there an opportunity to change the sad state of affairs?

In other words, does Raila need a new set of advisors to replace Orengo, Nyongo and of course Miguna Miguna?

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