Fractures have started to appear within opposition chief Raila Odinga’s Orange party, with close allies taking on President William Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza administration on issues of governance and maladministration. 

Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong’o has opened another warfront with Ruto over what he has termed as clawing back devolution and returning the country to the Moi era. 

Nyong’o, a close Raila ally, is the latest entrant into the circle of those within the Orange party who are now taking on the administration head-on, on various governance issues. 

In a scathing attack and through a statement titled ‘Allow Governors to Manage Devolution’, Nyong’o makes reference to the ongoing spat between the county governments and the central government over the management of roads funds. 

“The truth is that the Ruto regime has decided to go back to pre-devolution times of the Nyayo era,” he says. 

According to the Kisumu county chief, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) need not exist if the national government is prepared to fully implement devolution. 

However, in rejoinder, President Ruto’s allies, Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) and his Nandi counterpart Samson Cherargei, took on Prof Nyong’o, calling him out for what they termed as personal attacks against the President. 

“The Senate has stood with CoG on this matter to the best of its abilities, albeit with minimal success. Then, out of the blue in classic political pietism, the deputy Party leader of ODM and Governor of Kisumu, Senator Anyang Nyong’o, emerges, blaming the president. A very poor blackmail attempt,” Cheruiyot charged. 

On his part, Cherarkey took a swipe at the Council of Governors (CoG), claiming that they are the biggest threat to growth and devolution. 

In the recent past, Nyong’o’s Siaya counterpart, James Orengo’s open rebellion against Raila’s political rapprochement with President Ruto has also opened old wounds, threatening to fracture the opposition bloc. 

Orengo, another close Raila’s ally and once dubbed the ‘walking constitution’ for his legal mastery, appears to be severing links with his party boss and has publicly opposed ODM’s perceived cooperation with President Ruto in the broad-based government. 

Besides opposing the political union, Orengo has directly opposed Raila in a political gathering and accused some ODM figures of sycophancy, charging that they have morphed into Ruto’s ‘praise and worship choir’. 

“I will not bow to any political pressure to support the so-called broad-based government,” Orengo said during a funeral attended by both Ruto and Raila. 

Orengo warned his colleagues in the party not to be part of the praise and worship team of the Kenya Kwanza administration. 

“Even if you make compromises, you must do so on principle. Don’t be part of praise and worship, we must stand firm,” 

ODM’s Secretary General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna reminded Cheruiyot that the Kisumu County boss is not a Deputy Party leader 

“The ODM Party Leader himself has repeatedly and consistently stated in public his position on RMLF, CDF, and support of Devolution. We are yet to hear from the UDA Party Leader on any of these matters,” charged Sifuna.