Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai has warned that Siaya Governor James Orengo is risking arrest.

Alai’s warning has come hours after the governor said his aides were arrested. The events have developed just hours before President William Ruto visits Siaya County on Sunday, March 8, 2026.

The Nairobi County MCA has claimed that Orengo’s aides were paying people in order for them to boo and insult Ruto during his visit.

“Aides of James Orengo were paying people money in Uyoma to boo and insult the president tomorrow,” Alai said in a social media post on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

“Thank you, police, for dealing with the rogue governor. Orengo akicheza, atalala ndani.”

Orengo breaks silence over arrests

The first-term governor linked the arrest of his staff members to the anticipated visit by the Head of State.

“This evening several members of my staff have been arbitrarily arrested and detained in Siaya and Nairobi in connection with the presidential visit to Siaya tomorrow,” Orengo said.

“This egregious conduct on the part of the police has no place in a constitutional democracy. I demand their immediate release.”

Viewed as one of the rebel members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Orengo has become a vocal critic of the broad-based government arrangement entered by his party and Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Orengo has advanced his criticism to the elevation of Oburu Odinga as the party’s leader. To the former Siaya Senator, Oburu was illegally handed the leadership mantle of the party.

“Na unajua hakuchaguliwa na NDC; aliwekwa kwa njia ya mseto tukingoja NDC, lakini hata kwa hiyo njia ya mseto nafikiri ya kwamba haikufanywa kwa halali.”

“Kwa sababu kuna utaratibu ndani ya chama ya kwamba iwapo kiongozi wa chama amekufa ama hawezi kufanya kazi za chama, deputy leaders mmoja wao anaweza kuchukua nafasi hiyo kwa muda hadi NDC ifanyike,” Orengo argued in a recent interview.