Siaya Governor James Orengo says he cannot believe that a proposal from an ODM leader is urging President William Ruto to become a benevolent dictator.

Orengo, writing on his X account on Thursday, July 9, 2026, said such remarks run counter to the democratic ideals on which the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was founded.

“It is a national shame to hear an ODM leader beg William Ruto to become a ‘benevolent dictator,’” Orengo wrote.

“Let’s be clear: Ruto is already a dictator.”

Democracy under attack

Orengo argued that Kenya was already experiencing a shrinking democratic space, citing forced abductions, prosecutions of government critics, the passage of the Finance Bill and the disposal of public assets as evidence.

“We see it every day in the forced abductions, the trumped-up charges against dissenting voices, the forced passage of the punitive Finance Bill, and the illegal fire sale of our public assets,” he wrote.

The governor further said the call for a benevolent dictatorship contradicted ODM’s founding principles.

“The ‘D’ in ODM stands for Democracy. It is a betrayal of the highest order for these words to come from the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga family, a family whose blood, sweat and tears bought the very freedom we enjoy today.”

“To abandon that legacy is to spit on the sacrifices of our liberation heroes,” he added.

His remarks come a day after another ODM Oburu Odinga leader publicly urged President Ruto to occasionally employ what he described as “benevolent dictatorship” when making difficult national decisions.

“I encouraged the President to occasionally employ a level of ‘benevolent dictatorship’ to stand firm, cut through the political noise, and make the hard, bold decisions necessary to achieve the absolute best for all Kenyans,” Oburu said.

Coast frustrations

Orengo also said Coast leaders and residents had expressed frustration over what he described as unfulfilled government promises and unresolved historical land injustices.

He claimed locals continued to suffer as outsiders acquired land while many indigenous residents remained squatters.

According to Orengo, the region had also suffered economic setbacks through the decline of key industries and changes affecting maritime institutions.

“The Coastal people are tired of being sidelined, exploited and ignored,” he wrote.

He concluded by saying, “Today, the Coast has spoken with one thunderous voice: Ruto Must Go! When democracy is under siege, Linda Mwananchi is the only shield left for the ordinary Kenyan.”