Siaya Governor James Orengo has welcomed President William Ruto in Siaya days after snubbing him as political realignments continue to take root ahead of the 2027 showdown.

Ruto toured Siaya on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, to launch, among other projects, the breaking Ground for the Usenge Pier, Siaya County.

This comes as the behind-the-scenes pressure had been mounting. Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo reached out directly, along with Orengo’s close allies, urging him to turn up and engage, even if he remained philosophically aligned with a different political school of thought.

Earlier, Orengo had skipped Ruto’s high-profile visit to his home turf, outcrying over the arrest of his staff members, describing the move as politically motivated intimidation just ahead of the presidential tour.

With Orengo missing, Siaya senator and ODM party leader Oburu Odinga ushered President Ruto to address the residents.

In his speech, Ruto made it clear that Oburu is the one who invited him to the county.

“Nimefika hapa Bondo kwa Sababu ya mwaliko wa party leader wa ODM Mheshimiwa Oburu Oginga ambaye amenialika kwa mambo muhimu sana ya ICT hub ya hapa community ya Siaya,” Ruto announced.

The governor’s absence, however, intensified political tensions in the region, particularly within the ODM, where Orengo leads the vocal Linda Mwananchi faction, which has been openly critical of both the presidency and the party’s current leadership direction.

Describing the arrests as arbitrary and unconstitutional, Orengo demanded the immediate release of his team.

“This egregious conduct on the part of the police has no place in a constitutional democracy,” he stated.

Relief for pro-Ruto team?

Orengo has been ballistic over the blanket political accommodation, which he argues is unacceptable without defined terms, with disappointments under the 10-point agenda still lingering in his calculations.

Speaking on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, just a day after the document was unveiled, Orengo said those who drafted it lacked sufficient content to justify its release, arguing that it does not provide meaningful direction on key national issues.

“This document that was released yesterday is a fraud,” Orengo said.

Call for Ruto’s ouster

Ruto and Orengo are also meeting days after he and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi called for the impeachment of Ruto following his recent utterances directed at the opposition.

While speaking during a Linda Mwananchi presser on Wednesday, March 18, 2025, Orengo stated that a state officer of the calibre of President Ruto must conduct themselves in ways that bring honour to the nation and dignity to the office they hold.

He added that the Constitution envisages that a state officer must refrain from hate speech, noting that the president’s recent remarks constitute pure hate speech.

“I also want to join in by saying the president must be called to order. And quite rightly, as stated by Senator Godfrey, will so see the grounds of impeachment normally include gross violation of the law and violation of the Constitution,” Orengo stated.

“So his utterances constitute an abomination. And if you were in a society where the leadership, particularly in the assemblies, including the parliament, is what it is, I agree with God that the only way the president can be called to order is by impeachment or a sanction by way of a resolution in Parliament, and we have a precedent for those kinds of infractions.”

According to Orengo, unlike the former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, who was the first person to throw the attack, he can’t be judged harshly even if he speaks in the manner in which Ruto spoke, since he has not taken an oath of office as Ruto did.

Orengo went ahead to state that Ruto’s utterances constitute an abomination. He further noted that in jurisdictions where parliaments and assemblies are properly constituted, the president could have been called to order through impeachment or sanctioned via a parliamentary resolution.