‘I’m stronger than ever…not going anywhere’: Orengo makes first public appearance after long absence

Siaya Governor James Orengo on Friday broke his near month-long public silence with a defiant declaration that he is “very much alive” and “stronger than ever,” brushing aside swirling reports about his health and dismissing a fake resignation letter that had sparked speculation over his political future.

Speaking on Friday during the burial of trailblazing former Karachuonyo Member of Parliament Dr. Phoebe Asiyo at Wikondiek, Homa Bay County, Orengo addressed his public absence head-on saying, "I’m not going anywhere.”

The Governor’s words marked his first public appearance since retreating from the limelight—an absence that had fuelled reports of alleged illness and treatment abroad.

The narrative reached fever pitch early this week when a forged resignation letter purportedly signed by Orengo surfaced online, prompting swift dismissal by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

The Governor’s absence sparked a petition from a concerned resident to the Siaya County Assembly claiming a leadership vacuum, with his sidelined deputy William Oduol also demanding an explanation over his whereabouts.

Orengo, in his speech, also painted a grim picture of the male-dominated Parliament Dr. Asiyo walked into, describing it as a toxic space full of “charlatans, chauvinists and misogynists” who resented the idea of women as equals.

Yet, he said, Asiyo stood her ground, often raising bold, uncomfortable questions that ruffled the feathers of patriarchy.

“Phoebe Asiyo was ahead of her time,” Orengo said, hailing the former legislator as a pioneer of women’s rights long before the independence era. “I’m one of the few people privileged to have served with her in Parliament.”

The Governor pointed to Homa Bay’s current record of electing more women leaders than any other county as “a great testimony to the legacy of Phoebe Asiyo.”

He further used the platform to cast a critical eye on Kenya’s reluctance to celebrate its freedom fighters and political trailblazers while they are still alive.

“There’s a trend in Kenya where we’re very shy at rewarding heroes; we remember them when they’re dead,” he said.

He lamented the absence of national monuments or honours for leaders like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Odero Jowi, and Tom Mboya, despite their pivotal roles in Kenya’s struggle for independence and global diplomacy.

“The person who brought UNEP to Kenya is Odero Jowi,” Orengo reminded mourners, adding: “There’s a time when any leader coming from abroad, the first person they would ask about was Odero Jowi. Now We have all forgotten about him.”

On Mboya, the Senior Counsel said: “It’s a shame that his monuments are only here in Homa Bay. Mboya should have something big named after him in Nairobi.”