- Orengo's rejoinder comes only a day after Oduol accused him of allowing mismanagement of public resources to thrive in the young administration through what the DG described as "questionable characters" in his administration.
Image: COURTESY
Siaya governor James Orengo has hit back at his deputy William Oduol describing him as an amateur in elective politics who has never won even a civic seat.
Orengo's rejoinder comes only a day after Oduol accused him of allowing mismanagement of public resources to thrive in the young administration through what the DG described as "questionable characters" in his administration.
"I will not allow plunder and misappropriation of resources. If this makes me the Ruto from within, so be it. You can’t run a county when you are hands-off and leave questionable characters to steal unabated. I will smoke them out very soon. This is our county, my county," he said on Friday.
"When I finally speak, the people of Siaya county will be shocked. If not checked, this administration will be worse than Rasanga’s and I won’t allow it," Oduol added.
But speaking at a funeral in Ukwala on Saturday, Orengo dismissed Oduol, saying he has never won any political contest on his own and should stop daring him into a duel.
"You have never been elected anything before. You have never been elected even as a cattle dip chairman, you are still a political greenhorn," Orengo said.
He went on: "If I challenged former president Daniel Moi, who are you? I resisted head-on, a whole KANU government's machinery".
Oduol while speaking at a funeral in the Alego Usonga constituency laid open what he described as his tribulations in the hands of his boss, six months into office.
He claimed that natives of Alego Usonga who were holding positions in the county government were being targeted.
He also alleged that he was being targeted for protesting plans to have some key projects in the constituency removed from the budget.
" I am being fought for defending the interest of the people of Alego Usonga in this government. This is not my personal war," he said.
He claimed that there were plans to stop the completion of the 20,000-capacity Siaya stadium, a project that was initiated by Orengo's predecessor Cornel Rasanga, as his legacy project.
Oduol further claimed that the proposed governor and deputy governor's House projects were also being scuttled.
"They also want to kick out our daughter Dr Julie Onyango who is the county executive committee member for Water and environment. An impeachment motion is already before the assembly to have her kicked- out," he said.
"The county secretary Joseph Ogutu was sent on compulsory leave. He was brought back but has been forced again to resign. He will have to go earlier than his time as stipulated in his contract. He will be out of the office by December," he said.
Oduol vowed to resist any attempts to "shortchange" the people of Alego Usonga.
But speaking in Ukwala on Saturday, Orengo said that contrary to assertions by his deputy, Alego Usonga got more influential positions in his government.
" I became governor because of the support I received from the people of Alego Usonga who voted overwhelmingly for me and I have rewarded them handsomely," Orengo said.
" My chief of staff, retired Col Cyrus Oguna, is from Alego Usonga. The county secretary is from Alego Usonga and my advisor on gender is also from Alego. Alego Usonga has CEC water, CEC agriculture and chief officer of roads and the chief officer for education," he said.
The governor said his own constituency of Ugenya has only one CEC and not a single chief officer while neighbouring Ugunja has one CEC and a chief officer.
Orengo said he has a clear plan of where he wants to take Siaya County in regards to development and asked the residents to ignore the bickering which he dismissed as a mere passing cloud.
"My ambition to become governor wasn't just for the sake of it. I will work for this county to make a difference. In two years' time, my efforts will be visible for all to see. Some dismissed me- saying I am only fit for national politics. That I can't stay in the village. Now I am here and they are shocked by what we have started doing in terms of development," he said.
However, the bickering between governor Orengo and his deputy appears to have caught the attention of Rasanga who is in retirement.
Speaking at a separate funeral in Alego Usonga on Saturday, Rasanga asked Orengo to put his house in order and provide leadership.
" As the governor, you have the mandate to steady and steer the boat. You are expected to provide direction. You must not be aloof," Rasanga said.
Rasanga said he has been forced to speak following the public spat between Oduol and the governor.
"If you start quarrelling as you have started, then there is nothing you will do until the end of your term. You were elected on one ticket and you must agree to work together," he said.
The former governor noted that he will invite the two leaders for a discussion on how to run a government peacefully.