- Orengo, a close confidant to ODM leader and Azimio la Umoja presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga, is believed to be ODM's favorite for governor.
- Gumbo accused his competitor of abetting corruption in Siaya county by failing to oversight Governor Cornel Rasanga.
Former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo has challenged his chief competitor Senator James Orengo to share publicly his development record after being in leadership for more than 40 years.
Gumbo said Orengo has been an MP for four terms and a senator for two but has done little to improve the lives of common people in Siaya.
“The people of Siaya must be careful when selecting their next governor not to elect somebody who is not development conscious,” Gumbo said.
The former lawmaker said the governor’s position should got to a leader who has a development record of even constructing an inch of a road or piped water.
Gumbo accused his competitor of abetting corruption in Siaya county by failing to oversight Governor Cornel Rasanga, despite the Auditor General’s reports indicating misappropriation of millions of shillings from the county coffers.
He asked Siaya people to reject selfish leaders whose only agenda is to amass wealth at the expense of the needs of common mwananchi.
Orengo, a close confidant to ODM leader and Azimio la Umoja presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga, is believed to be ODM's favorite candidate.
Responding to Gumbo’s allegations Orengo asked leaders to focus on their agenda and not on personal attacks.
Orengo said he is in politics not because of Gumbo but to initiate development projects for the people Siaya.
“If Gumbo is serious with his candidature then it will be prudent to erase my name from his mouth in his campaigns,” Orengo said.
The Siaya senator said he is also campaigning but nowhere during his campaign rallies has he mentioned the name of his competitors.
“It’s only good manners that we don’t polarise this year’s election campaign by spitting venom at the expense of peace,” he added.
Gumbo made the accusations against Orengo in Bondo where he issued bursaries worth Sh250,000 to students of Kamnara Secondary School through his Rarieda Education Support Action programme.
The foundation has supported over 3,000 students since September last year in Siaya county to the tune of Sh15 million.
Gumbo said it is not enough for politicians in the Nyanza region to claim that they love Raila Odinga without showing what they are doing to improve the lives of the people.
“Loyalty to Raila is measured by serving the people, not politicking and hiring planes worth millions but not helping a single student who has been sent home for Sh2000 school levy," he said.
The former legislator challenged politicians who think that invoking the name of Raila in rallies is enough to secure their votes or are in for a rude shock at the polls.
“Currently, all politicians in Nyanza are invoking the name of Raila in campaigns thinking it’s a campaign mechanism, not knowing all of us are for Raila but beyond that what have you done for the people?” he said.
Gumbo at the same time lauded President Kenyatta's endorsement of Raila's presidential bid, saying ODM insiders who discriminate against other parties in Azimio should borrow a leaf from the President's move.
He urged politicians from the region to end the practice of discrimination among political parties in Azimio and instead embrace everybody.
“The entire Luo nation is backing Raila and we want to ensure that he is elected as the 5th president in the August general election,” he added.
Gumbo reminded the ODM brigade that not every aspirant will be elected but even the losers have their supporters.
Edited by Henry Makori