Makau Mutua: Orengo was never on the same page with Raila for a long period of time
By David Nthua, June 29, 2026President William Ruto’s advisor, Makau Mutua, has claimed that Siaya Governor James Orengo was never fully aligned with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
This is even as he reflected on the factors that followed Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition’s defeat in the 2022 General Election.
Speaking during a local television interview on Sunday, June 28, 2026, Mutua questioned Orengo’s political loyalty to Raila, saying he should stop invoking the former ODM leader’s name in his current political engagements.
Makau Mutua speaks on Orengo-Raila relationship
“James Orengo was never on the same page with Baba for a long period of time. If he were honest, he would stop invoking Baba’s name to do what he is doing; he never supported Baba,” Mutua said.
Mutua did not provide specific examples during the interview to support his assertion.
The presidential adviser also reflected on Azimio’s loss in the 2022 election, saying the outcome deeply affected Raila’s allies and supporters.
“The loss of the election by Azimio and by Baba was profound for a lot of people. A lot of people say Baba is the president Kenya never had.
“This last election had stung Azimio a lot, and the people around Baba, all of us, understood that this was perhaps his last shot because of his age.
“I think there is a lot of denialism about the outcome of the election and a lot of scapegoating,” he said.
Mutua also dismissed claims that he influenced the outcome of the election or controlled key state institutions.
“I did not control the government, I did not control the IEBC, or the Supreme Court. There was a private citizen, arguably one of Baba’s closest strategists and advisors.
“I called him my soul mate. How does this private individual who teaches in New York come to Kenya and cause all these state institutions to deny Baba the presidency?” he posed.
He added, “I heard Dennis Onyango say that I took Baba hostage. Do you think that any person could take Baba hostage? If Baba was taken hostage, where were the other people?”
Mutua also commented on Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, describing him as “a young man in a hurry.”
“Babu Owino is a friend of mine; he is a young man in a hurry. He ought to walk before he can run,” he said.
On Sunday, June 7, 2026, Dennis Onyango, a former aide of the late Raila Odinga, said he wasn’t in a hurry to forgive Makau Mutua, blaming him for the loss of Raila in the 2022 State House race.
“One person I won’t forgive is Makau Mutua. I don’t think he added any value to Raila’s campaign, and to the very last minute, up to today, I still believe he derailed us,” Onyango said.
Orengo’s previous remarks
Orengo was not present during the interview and had not publicly responded to Mutua’s latest remarks by the time of publication.
However, in an earlier television interview, the Siaya governor rejected suggestions that he had fallen out with Raila, describing such claims as a “misnomer.”
Orengo acknowledged that the two occasionally differed on political and constitutional matters, including the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), but maintained that those disagreements did not diminish their relationship.
“We got along,” Orengo said, adding that he supported Raila even when he warned him about constitutional concerns surrounding BBI.
He also said he had “never” been afraid to disagree with Raila or his late father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, insisting that political differences were part of their long-standing relationship.