Governor of Siaya County James Orengo has recently been missing from the public eye with his last appearence being on June 23rd 2025, when he appeared before the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee to address audit queries.Since then, he has not made any public appearances. Though his missing was officially described as a private trip abroad, no information has been shared regarding its duration or purpose.This has ignited anxiety and speculation especially from his constituents who have already petitioned to the county assembly through the Siaya Bunge La Mwananchi forum where they are urging the assembly to exercise its oversight role and address the rising public concern over the governor and his deputy’s absence
Administrative Vacuum Deepens
With both Governor Orengo and Deputy Governor William Oduol absent or sidelined, the county operations have slumped into dysfunction. The County Speaker, George Okode, has stepped in to perform executive functions such as chairing the Pre‑Devolution Conference and presiding over project launches raising constitutional tension. It is also important to note there has been an ongoing rift between the governor and his deputy where deputy governor William Oduol, claimed his office has been systematically disrupted and in most occasions, he has been excluded from cabinet meetings, denied allowances, and even forced to fuel the county vehicle from his own pocket and his staff reportedly received directives not to engage with him. However despite internal turmoil, Oduol has reaffirmed his constitutional loyalty and expressed willingness to reconcile through structured dialogue
Public Pressure & Petitions Grow
Citizens and civic groups have grown increasingly alarmed by the prolonged absence of county leaders and aside from the petition to the county assembly of Siaya,multiple petitions have been submitted to oversight institutions including the ODM party, Senate, IEBC, and EACC. Petitioners argue that Orengo’s absence and failure to hand over power violates constitutional requirements and threaten democratic governance
Official Responses & Doubt
Speaker of Siaya County Assembly George Okode has dismissed rumors of Orengo’s resignation, calling them fake, and clarified the governor remains in office and in charge describing his absence as “physical, not of duty.” In an interview recenty he described the rumours as the works of political saboteurs and he insisted that Governor Orengo is currently out of the country on personal matters and is expected to return soon. ODM party leader Hon Raila Odinga also reassured the public that Orengo is in good health and will return.
Why does the governor’s absence matter?
The absence of the governor and his deputy is crucial to the county government since an absence without a handover means that the executive authority is in limbo and this undermines the continuity of governance in the county and in the case of Siaya county where the deputy governor has also been sidelined, it disregards any constitutional provision for acting governance. With the two leaders being absent it now pushes for petition after petitions from their people and this is not a good image to investors and the country at large as it signals growing civic urgency and loss of trust in local institutions which leads to lack of transparency in county matters and it fuels speculation, from health concerns to conspiracy theories.
Conclusion
Governor Orengo’s unexplained and prolonged absence without formally delegating authority has pushed Siaya County into a constitutional grey zone. Governance appears stalled, leadership structure disrupted, and public confidence shaken. While the county’s Speaker and ODM leadership insist the governor remains in office and healthy, it’s clear that delivering transparency and restoring functional administration is critical. The path forward will depend on whether a structured reconciliation as proposed by Deputy Governor Oduol and renewed communication can lift the uncertainty and restore confidence in Siaya’s leadership.
