•Orengo’s campaign team said the main challenge to devolution in Siaya is corruption and Orengo is the only cure.
•His competitor Nicholas Gumbo however said he also built schools, graded access roads and given bursaries to needy students, among other achievements.
Image: JOSIAH ODANGA
Siaya Senator James Orengo’s campaign team is showcasing what he has done over the years.
Orengo is vying for the governor's seat.
During a town hall meeting organised by Radio Citizen in Siaya last weekend, Kevin Osuri said Orengo was part of the team that crafted the Constitution that paved the way for devolution.
Orengo’s campaign team said he oversaw the splitting of Ugenya constituency into two to create Ugunja constituency.
“The split means that more resources are currently being channelled to our people at the grassroots,” Victor Marende, the campaign communication director, said.
The campaign team credits Orengo for having contributed construction materials for Magombe, Bar Oninge, Ohando, Nyang'ungu, Raduodi, Umina and Got Nanga primary schools and Kagonya Secondary School.
They said Orengo is praised by his followers for being part of the politicians who pushed for the introduction of CDF.
The team said using the CDF money infrastructure in schools was improved.
They include the construction of a classroom at Sihay primary, two at Ramunde secondary, a science laboratory at Sega Township secondary, a hall at Sega Youth Polytechnic and four classrooms at Ugunja Township primary.
Others are a hall at Yenga and Ambira secondary schools, a tuition block at Umina Secondary School and centres of excellence at Mathiwa and Ywaya primary schools and Tingare primary and secondary schools.
Orengo also claims credit for Ugenya High School.
The campaign team said Orengo developed the health sector by constructing wards and installing water and electricity at Ambira subcounty hospital.
He also upgraded Ukwala hospital, constructed Simenya and Nyaharwa health centres and Anyiko dispensary.
The campaign team said during Orengo’s stint as Lands minister, he constructed land offices in Bondo, Siaya and Ukwala to deal with land issues.
Orengo is credited by his team with reclaiming a grabbed parcel of land at Nyasanda in Ugunja through street action, and constructing Ugunja constituency offices, Nyasanda polytechnic, registrar of persons office, treasury office and Ugunja modern police post.
He also commissioned the construction Kogere, Aboke, Bugi and Sigomre police posts to beef up security in the region.
Orengo’s campaign team said the main challenge to devolution in Siaya is corruption and Orengo is the only cure.
His competitor Nicholas Gumbo however said he had also built schools, graded access roads and given bursaries to needy students, among other achievements.
Gumbo said he increased the number of secondary schools in Rarieda from 17 to 53 and added 92 kilometres of roads, up from 21 when he got into office in 2007.
Gumbo was a two-term lawmaker in Rarieda constituency between 2007 and 2017.
He is vying on a United Democratic Movement ticket against ODM which is dominant in the county.
During his campaigns, he urged the voters to vote for individuals based on what they can do to improve livelihoods and not political parties.
“It is not political parties that do things. Individuals in positions of leadership do things,” Gumbo told the Star in a past interview.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris