Governor Orengo returns to the country from overseas trip

Siaya Governor James Orengo has not been seen in public for several weeks. [File, Standard]

After several weeks of speculation over his whereabouts, Siaya Governor James Orengo has returned to the country.

The Standard has established that the county chief flew back to the country on Tuesday and is in Nairobi. However, he is yet to make a public appearance or return to Siaya.

Speaker of the County Assembly George Okode confirmed to The Standard that the governor is back in the country. "I can confidently confirm that the governor is back in the country and is in Nairobi," said Okode.

The speaker hinted at the possibility of Orengo making his first public appearance at the burial of former Karachuonyo MP Phoebe Asiyo.

According to sources, the county chief had been attending to a personal matter that prompted him to fly out of the country.

The governor was last seen in public on June 23 when he appeared before the Senate's Public Accounts Committee to address audit queries.

Since then, Okode has represented him at key functions in the devolved unit.

In his absence, however, questions arose over his whereabouts and that of his deputy, William Oduol, who has been sidelined by his administration after they fell out.

On Wednesday, a section of MCAs told The Standard that they do not recognize Oduol because they impeached him last year although the impeachment was nullified by the Senate.

Last week, a resident, Julius Oluoch, petitioned top government institutions to probe Orengo and his deputy for allegedly neglecting their constitutional roles.

The petition was addressed to top institutions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Senate and the ODM Party.

"For over one month, the governor has been conspicuously absent, leading to stalled key operations, including the approval of the 2025/2026 budget," read the petition.

Additional reporting by Isaiah Gwengi