Siaya Governor James Orengo has ignited a political firestorm, directly accusing President William Ruto of engineering the removal of Edwin Sifuna as ODM Secretary General to destabilize the opposition.

Speaking with characteristic defiance, the veteran lawyer claimed the chaos currently engulfing the Orange Party is not organic but a carefully orchestrated script written at State House. Orengo alleges that President Ruto is holding secret night meetings with renegade ODM factions to sow discord and weaken the party ahead of the 2027 polls.

The Hand of the State

"The problem in ODM is President Ruto," Orengo declared, leaving no room for ambiguity. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-7)"He is convening meetings, excluding key leaders like Sifuna and Osotsi, and dictating the direction of our party." The allegations come in the wake of a tumultuous National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that saw Sifuna suspended—a move Orengo insists is illegal and null.

Orengo, flanked by loyalists, painted a picture of a party under siege, not from voters, but from a state apparatus intent on returning Kenya to a de facto one-party state. He challenged the President to "leave ODM alone" and focus on his administration's failing economic policies.

• The Defense: Orengo argued that Sifuna has been a loyal servant who never faced public rebuke from Raila Odinga, making his sudden ouster suspicious.
• The Warning: "If they think they can buy the soul of ODM, they are mistaken. This is a movement of the people," Orengo thundered.

A Party at War with Itself

The accusation adds a volatile layer to the internal wrangles. With Sifuna sidelined, the battle for the soul of ODM is now open warfare between those advocating for cooperation with the government and the hardliners led by Orengo who demand total separation. The "handshake" ghost has returned, but this time, it threatens to tear the house of Chungwa apart.

As the dust settles on the NEC's decision, one thing is clear: the road to the next election will be paved with betrayal, counter-coups, and the looming shadow of State House over Orange House.