Revisited: Origin of Raila's Bad Blood with Orengo

ODM party leader Raila Odinga (left) and Siaya Senator James Orengo.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga (left) and Siaya Senator James Orengo.
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For recent observers of Kenyan politics, the comradeship between ODM Leader Raila Odinga and Siaya Senator James Orengo was one that was beyond separation or conflict. 

However, this perception is increasingly changing after the recent fallout in the Orange Democratic Movement camp due to differences in opinions over the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that has seen Orengo become the subject of targeted attacks by Raila's allies. 

The Siaya Senator's opposition to Raila's pet project, BBI, has raised fears among his friends that the Senior Counsel could soon be ejected from his Senate Minority Leader's position. 

It has also reignited memories of a time when Raila and Orengo's bitter clashes in the 1990s - which often resulted in blood being shed by their respective supporters

The history of the bad blood between the two can be traced to the death of Raila's father - founding Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. 

Siaya Senator James Orengo speaking at the Senate Leadership Retreat with the Senate Board of Management on March 9, 2021.
Siaya Senator James Orengo speaking at the Senate Leadership Retreat with the Senate Board of Management on March 9, 2021.
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As at the time of Jaramogi's death, Orengo, who was Ugenya MP and was considered the second most most influential Luo politician after Raila's father. 

Orengo had a wealth of experience despite his youthful age as he had been elected to Parliament in 1980 aged 29 and had acted as Jaramogi's lawyer on complicated legal matters. He also had the respect of the officials who had worked with Jaramogi, an advantage over Raila who was seen as a green horn riding on his father's influence. 

According to the head of former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa’s security team, Audi Ogad, Raila sought to deputise Kijana Wamalwa as Ford Kenya's vice-chairman after the demise of his father.

However, Wamalwa supported Orengo's bid to become the vice-chair- a decision that forced Raila to go for the top seat.

“Raila initially wanted to contest as Wamalwa’s first vice-chairman against Orengo but changed his mind and went for the top seat after learning Wamalwa was supporting the Ugenya MP. Things got worse when it emerged that both sides had their own list of delegates,” Ogada stated.

Raila's decision to oppose both Orengo and Wamalwa led to a chaotic scene at Thika stadium in 1995 as both leaders declared themselves winners. 

Wamalwa became the recognised leader while Raila resigned to form the National Development Party (NDP). He was able to craft his own political identity and became the de facto leader of Luo Nyanza politics. 

In the 1997 general election, Orengo overcame the NDP wave and was elected Ugenya MP on a Ford Kenya critic. His election increased rivalry between him and Raila as well as between their supporters who clashed at various functions.

In April 1999, police officers had to intervene at a fundraiser rally after Orengo's supporters attempted to block Odinga from holding a fundraiser in Ugunga. 

In 2002, however, the tide turned as Raila teamed up with Wamalwa and supported former President Mwai Kibaki's bid to succeed Moi. 

The alliance prompted Orengo to vie for the Presidency seat on a Social Democratic Party (SDP) ticket.

“I wanted real leadership change when Moi’s term in office came to an end, and not just another game of musical chairs,” Orengo previously told the Standard.

The senator finished fourth in the race and subsequently lost his parliamentary seat.

“For Raila and me, it has never been a difference of opinion but rather strategy. And this is because we share a history in the so-called second liberation,” Orengo stated.

The discord between the two seemingly appeared to simmer down after Orengo joined ODM in 2007 and resorted to pledge his support to his former rival.

Cheering the ODM agenda to Kenyans, Orengo and Raila have stood side-by-side over the years. However, insiders at the ODM camp have poked holes at the relationship between the two.

This was revealed in Miguna Miguna's book titled Peeling back the mask- facts that weren't disputed by the ODM camp.

"Raila in the past been extremely nasty to them (Orengo and Nyong'o), especially to Orengo. I was recently informed by one of Raila's closest confidants still working with him in the government, that about ten years ago Raila used to publicly call Orengo a 'dog' that he would say 'Orengo is a dog; what can a dog do?'" Miguna wrote of the clash between the two Nyanza politicians between 1994 and 2003.

Raila Odinga addressing the National Governing Council on March 1, 2019.
Raila Odinga addressing the National Governing Council on March 1, 2019.
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