- Orengo and Otiende were lead counsels in the 2017 Supreme Court petition against President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy and the IEBC.
- The apex court later annulled the win of Uhuru and Ruto on September 1 2017.
Image: JOSIAH ODANGA
Siaya Senator James Orengo has asked voters in the region to come out in large numbers and vote for Raila Odinga to win next week's presidential election in round one.
Speaking in Segere in Alego-Usonga constituency on Monday, Orengo said Raila should get a clear round one win, adding that he is tired of challenging results in court.
“Kura mar tarik ochiko dwe mare aboro wang’ni okadhine e kot. Aol gi dhi e kot (I won’t go to court to challenge the election of August 9. I am tired of going to court)," he said.
The Siaya ODM governor candidate said Raila’s closest challenger, Deputy President William Ruto, will easily see the sense of leaving power if Raila wins with a huge margin.
"We need to defeat Ruto with a huge margin so that he feels ashamed of challenging our win," he said.
The senator said his legal counterpart and Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo is equally tired.
Orengo and Otiende were lead counsels in the 2017 Supreme Court petition against President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
The apex court later annulled the win of Uhuru and Ruto on September 1 2017.
Orengo's sentiments comes amid disquiet among some residents of Nyanza region after the Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate called for six-piece voting.
Out of six constituencies in Siaya county, nominations through universal suffrage was only done in Bondo, Gem and Alego-Usonga.
All the incumbent MPs were given direct tickets.
Raila is the ODM leader, Nyanza region’s most dominant political party.
A number of candidates have resorted to vie for various seats either as independents or jumped ship into Azimio’s affiliate parties.
Former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo is running for governor seat on a UDM party ticket.
Younger contenders seem to have joined the Gumbo camp to strategically fight ODM candidates.
Some of them include Emma Akinyi, 25, who wants to send Siaya Woman Representative Christine Ombaka home and James Wamban, 30, who is battling to lock Oburu Oginga out the Senate seat.
Akinyi is vying on a Maendeleo Democratic Party ticket, whereas Wamban is flying the Movement for Growth and Democracy party ticket.
The candidates, however, continue to drum up support for Raila.
They want residents to vote for leaders who will be responsive to their needs, a narrative that has been popularised in the region as ‘ng’adi inywandi’ (loosely translated as vote for other Azimio affiliate parties).
Alego-Usonga MP Atandi said Raila occupying the presidency will be highly beneficial to the people of Siaya because “power is sweet."
(edited by Amol Awuor)