The politics behind the whereabouts of Siaya Governor James Orengo and the role of his deputy have taken a surprise turn after a section of Kenyans accused his deputy, William Oduol, of taking advantage of his absence to fuel a succession plan.
The deputy governor, who had remained silent despite reports of a rift between him and his county boss, finally broke his silence in a statement released on Tuesday, August 5, affirming loyalty to the governor, but the statement made matters worse rather than clearing the air.
First, Kenyans had an issue with the fact that he decided to release the statement at a time when the governor's whereabouts and health were unclear, despite the statement being dated a month ago.
In the statement dated July 5, the deputy governor acknowledged that, indeed, there have been rifts between him and Orengo; however, the rifts never made him stop respecting Orengo as the county boss.
''My allegiance to His Excellency is resolute and unwavering. I stand ready, as always, to receive and faithfully execute his instructions, per the law and in the best interest of the people of Siaya. I do so not in isolation, but in full recognition that my mandate is complementary, not parallel, to that of the Governor,'' the statement read in part.
While the deputy governor took the opportunity to cement his loyalty to the governor, Kenyans could not help but question why it took this long to clarify.
Others alleged that with the governor's absence, the deputy governor was seizing the opportunity to take over.
''It is evident that you're beginning to entertain thoughts of inheriting power,'' one netizen alleged.
''Reminds me of the former governor for Homabay and current governor for Kisumu, who were rumoured to be critically ill, and their respective deputies got excited loudly. It did not end well for them,'' another alleged.
Siaya Governor James Orengo has been missing, causing tension among Kenyans. Reports had alleged that the governor was critically ill and had abandoned his county duties.
However, speaking exclusively to Kenyans.co.ke Siaya County Secretary Joseph Ogutu dismissed the allegations, affirming that the county executive functions were still intact. She also called for calm and explained that the governor was away on a private matter.
"There is no cause for concern. The governor is away on a private mission that is part of his executive responsibilities," Ogutu stated.
