Orengo praises Bishop Ong’injo, says truth was spoken despite intimidation
By Mustafa Juma, May 2, 2026Siaya Governor James Orengo has praised Anglican Bishop Charles Ong’injo for his bold remarks during a burial ceremony in Seme, Kisumu County, saying the cleric spoke the truth despite what he described as an atmosphere of intimidation.
Orengo was reacting to a fiery sermon delivered by Bishop Ong’injo on Saturday, May 2, 2026, during the burial of Mzee Eliud Nyikal Okaka, the father of Seme MP James Nyikal.
Taking to his official X account after the event, Orengo lauded the bishop for directly confronting political leaders over governance failures, saying the message resonated even without amplification.
“Goons, teargas and guns will not stop us. Great man of God, Bishop Ong’injo, said it all today. I didn’t need the microphone,” Orengo said.
Funeral disruption
Orengo was forced to leave the funeral prematurely after a group of rowdy individuals stormed the event, heckling him and chanting pro-government slogans.
Orengo later issued a stern warning to individuals he accused of plotting violence against Linda Mwananchi, declaring that efforts to intimidate the movement’s activities would not succeed.
In a post on his official X account on Saturday, May 2, 2026, Orengo condemned a group of rowdy individuals who stormed the burial service while chanting political slogans.
“It is both shameful and a national disgrace that the State and its luckys could disrupt a solemn send off so rattled by the people’s unity that it resorted to unleashing goons,” Orengo said.
While describing the tense moment witnessed at the funeral service, Orengo explained that the disruptions forced the clergy to cut the service short.
A move, the governor says, led to a swift burial without speeches to preserve order and dignity.
“The situation became so tense that the clergy had to cut the service short, calling for an immediate burial without speeches to preserve order and dignity,” Orengo said.
Bishop Ong’injo’s fiery sermon
During the burial in Seme, Bishop Ong’injo sharply criticised Members of Parliament, urging them to abandon political slogans and instead focus on key challenges such as the rising cost of living, education disruptions, and unemployment.
“Stop nonsensical political sloganeering. Address the issues of the people. People are suffering,” the bishop said in part of his address.
He also questioned frequent transfers of teachers, rising fuel costs, and what he termed a growing culture of political handouts to struggling youth.
The Bishop also highlighted rising fuel and energy costs, questioning government explanations that price increases were linked to development progress.
“When fuel prices went up, we were told our fuel is higher because we are more developed than our neighbours. The last time I checked, fuel prices in the USA are almost half what we are paying here. So the USA is not developed like us?” he posed.
He further criticised earlier promises on household energy costs, saying reductions in gas prices had not materialised as expected.
“We forget very fast. There was a time we were told our mothers would no longer cook using firewood. That gas will reduce to Ksh500. The last time I checked, it increased by over Ksh500,” he said.