Belgut Constituency Member of Parliament Nelson Koech has pointed fingers at Siaya Governor James Orengo over what he has termed as betrayal of the former Orange Democratic Movement Party leader, the late Raila Odinga.

Koech has said that Orengo never believed in Raila and has been in the ODM party to drive his own political agenda.

Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, February 5, 2026, Koech said that Orengo is one of the people who survived politically by being Raila Odinga’s diehards but could not deliver for their people and had no intentions of supporting the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

“For instance, James Orengo. James Orengo has no history of ever working with Raila Odinga.”

“In fact, he has run against Raila Odinga; he never believed in Raila Odinga, but because he realised that without Raila there was no way he was going to be elected for any political seat in Luo Nyanza, that is the only time that he supported Raila Odinga.”

“He has gone back to where he was. He never supported Raila Odinga; he never believed in him; he wanted Raila for his own political reasons,” Koech said.

Factions within ODM party

Sentiments from the lawmaker come at a time when ODM is facing divisions following the death of Raila Odinga in October 2025. Oburu Oginga assumed the role of acting party leader, but critics question his ability to unify the party.

There are two factions that have laid themselves out in the ODM party. The pro-government group, including Oburu, Gladys Wanga, Ali Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, and Opiyo Wandayi, supports the broad-based government pact with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), viewing the pact as strategic for negotiations ahead of 2027.

The opposing camp, led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Orengo, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and EALA MP Winnie Odinga, resists the pact.

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, at a church in Kawangware, Siaya Governor James Orengo warned that any attempt to remove Edwin Sifuna as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General would destroy the party.

He also said that ODM cannot enter into any political coalition before fully implementing the conditions set out by the late Raila Odinga.

The opposing camp has been pushing for ODM independence, internal reforms, and an early National Delegates Conference to resolve leadership disputes.