Former Nyakach Member of Parliament Odoyo Owidi has sharply criticized Siaya Governor James Orengo over remarks questioning the circumstances surrounding the death of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Owidi’s response follows Orengo’s recent interview in which the governor suggested that Odinga may not have travelled to India willingly for medical treatment and called for a deeper inquiry into the events leading to his death.
Orengo argued that the nation should not quickly accept the veteran politician’s death as natural without a thorough investigation.
But Owidi dismissed the governor’s assertions, describing them as hypocritical and politically motivated.
In an X statement, the former legislator pointed out that Orengo himself had previously travelled to India for medical treatment, questioning why the same action would be considered suspicious in Odinga’s case.
“Governor James Orengo is now suggesting that Raila Odinga was taken to a hospital in India against his will,” Owidi said. “But the irony is that Orengo himself has travelled to India for treatment of non-life-threatening conditions. So when Raila makes the same trip, Orengo wants us to believe he was forced.”
Owidi further questioned the basis of Orengo’s claims, asking who exactly would have had the power to coerce a leader of Odinga’s stature.
“Between Raila and Orengo, who exactly is more likely to be coerced into doing something?” he posed. “Was Raila already in a vegetative state when he was airlifted? Or is Orengo also implicating Raila’s own family and close associates in this alleged conspiracy to forcibly take him to India?”
The former Nyakach MP also took issue with Orengo’s criticism of some members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) whom he had earlier accused of aligning themselves with President William Ruto.
Owidi argued that Orengo had no moral authority to lecture others within the party, claiming the governor had previously demonstrated extreme loyalty to Odinga.
“He talks about ODM members worshipping Ruto, yet he forgets that he himself has literally knelt before Raila multiple times,” Owidi said.
Owidi also challenged Orengo to publicly name the individuals he suspects of accompanying Odinga to India with questionable intentions, rather than making broad allegations.
“If he knows of specific individuals who accompanied Raila to India with ill intent, let him name them,” he said.
The former MP further accused Orengo of internal party rivalry, alleging that the Siaya governor was uncomfortable being led within ODM by other figures, including the party’s secretary general Edwin Sifuna.