Siaya Governor James Orengo appears to have completely changed his tune towards President William Ruto, barely months after calling for the Head of State to resign.
Ruto was at St Peter’s ACK Cathedral in Siaya County on August 31, where he was welcomed by, among others, Governor Orengo.
During the service, Orengo did not hold back in his praise for the Kenya Kwanza government as he lauded Ruto for 'bringing development' to Siaya.
"Your Excellency, the President, I want to allay the fears for those who think you don't have Siaya in your heart. Last Week, I talked to you and you confirmed that on October 16, you are again coming to Siaya," Orengo said.
The governor specifically mentioned the construction of a 20,000-capacity stadium and the new Siaya referral hospital as testaments to the President's development agenda in the county.
Orengo also appeared to hint that part of the reason he changed tune on the Kenya Kwanza government was because of a phone call with ODM party leader Raila Odinga.
"Your Excellency, the President, Last night, Raila Odinga rang me and urged me to ensure the people of Siaya receive you well. And as you know, when Baba says right, we go right. When he says we go left, we go left," he went on.
Orengo also announced the upcoming Siaya International Trade & Investment Conference (SITICO 2025) scheduled for October, which he says will be headlined by President Ruto.
The theme of the conference is ‘Positioning Siaya as an Investment Destination: Transformative Growth through Trade and Investment’, as anchored in the county’s 2023-2027 development plan.
For the period, the county will host keynotes and plenaries, sector breakouts, an exhibition, B2B deal rooms, site visits to priority projects, and signature sessions dedicated to public-private partnerships.
Interestingly, the Siaya County boss' change in tune came just months after he called for Ruto's resignation, citing too much public anger towards the Kenya Kwanza government.
While speaking in Bondo in July, Orengo claimed Ruto's government had fundamentally failed Kenyans, resulting in their anger. At the time, Orengo claimed the only plausible thing for the President to do was to step down.
