Siaya Governor James Orengo's absence sparks anxiety, petition to county assembly over stalled budget

The continued absence of Siaya Governor James Orengo and his deputy, William Oduol, from the public has raised anxiety among the residents of Siaya, who have now petitioned the county’s assembly and other agencies over an alleged leadership vacuum.

The absence of the county chief and deputy has led to a concerned resident formally petitioning top government institutions, accusing the county's two highest-ranking leaders of neglecting their constitutional mandates.

The petitioner, Julius Oluoch, claims Governor Orengo has been conspicuously absent from public view for over a month, leading to significant delays, including the critical approval of Siaya's 2025/2026 budget.

The said leadership vacuum has been necessitated by the deteriorated working relationship between Orengo and Oduol.

"For over one month, the governor has been conspicuously absent, leading to stalled key operations, including the approval of the 2025/2026 budget," the petition reads.

The petitioner accuses them of paralysing the county-level operations and fostering an environment of governance crisis.

Oluoch's petition highlights a wider leadership crisis, pointing to Orengo’s failure to appoint a substantive County Executive Committee Member for Finance for nine months and a Chief Officer for Finance for nearly three years.

He also petitioned the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, and the Senate.

While Siaya County Assembly Speaker George Okode has dismissed the claims as politically instigated, insisting the governor is on a private trip but not neglecting duties, the petition signals a push for a formal investigation into the county's leadership stability.

Orengo’s absence has heightened fears to the extent that a resignation letter purported to be from his office was flagged by ODM as fake on Monday morning. In the letter that was addressed to several offices, including the Orange Democratic Movement Party Leader, Raila Odinga, it was alleged that the county chief had resorted to step down over ill health.

The Eastleigh Voice spoke to lawyer Evans Ogada, who specialises in constitutional and administrative law litigation over Orengo’s absence and its legal consequences.

“That's not absence. He is not being seen publicly. In terms of the law, there is a Governor and Deputy Governor in place,” said Ogada.

In the absence of Orengo and Oduol, it is touted that the Speaker has been acting on behalf of the governor.

According to sources, the county chief has reportedly been out of the country, with no official communication from his administration on the nature and duration of the trip.

The governor was last seen in public on June 23 when he appeared before the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee to address audit queries. On June 5, the governor led a delegation of Siaya leaders to the State House, where they discussed numerous development projects in the county. Oduol William's legal services

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Since then, Siaya County Assembly Speaker George Okode has been seen presiding over key county functions, including hosting the Livestock PS, Jonathan Mueke, during the commissioning of three key livestock investment projects worth Sh46 million.

On June 27, during a stakeholders' engagement on nuclear power held at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Bondo and a fundraiser at Makasembo Secondary School in Rarieda sub-county, the governor was represented by the speaker.

“Siaya today is on autopilot. The governor is away and has not handed over to his deputy to act in his absence, so no one knows what is going on in Siaya,” said Deputy Governor William Oduol to a local press.

Oduol revealed that despite being cleared by the Senate following a turbulent impeachment attempt, the governor has refused to reinstate him.

He further claimed that the office of the Deputy Governor has been completely disabled, with all the staff directed not to communicate with him or take instructions from him.

“I am not invited to cabinet meetings, and my benefits and allowances have been withdrawn. I even fuel the official county car from my own pocket,” he said.

He added that any effort to perform his official duties is futile, as the governor has issued firm instructions that no one should deal with him.

In a defiant tone, Oduol said he has chosen to take a back seat, convinced that his earlier warnings are now being proven true. Guided tours of the Governor's office and residence

Political Analyst Samuel Owida notes that the absence of a governor and his deputy brings forth confusion and anxiety in the governance of a devolved unit. In his view, a government must have a head to steer it daily and answer to the public's needs as required.

“Anyone charged with public responsibility, including elected leaders, is owned by the public, and all that happens around them must be accounted for. So, Siaya residents, even without the law, have a right to be told of the whereabouts of their leaders. Leaders are answerable to the public,” said Owida.