Orengo: Withdrawal of Gachagua’s case will make Kenyans lose trust in Judiciary
Siaya Governor James Orengo has asked the Judiciary to revisit Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's graft case which was recently withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for lack of evidence.
Orengo, who termed the withdrawal of the case unfortunate, said such issues would make Kenyans lose the trust and confidence they bestowed in the Judiciary.
Speaking in Asembo, Siaya county where he commissioned the Asembo fruit processing plant, Orengo asked the courts to determine Gachagwa's case based on the adduced evidence before it.
"For such a case to land in the court, DPP Noordin Harji had reviewed it and found it valid hence he can't change his mind," Orengo said.
The county boss said that other Kenyans who are facing serious criminal cases are waiting to see how the Judiciary will go about their cases especially now that Haji has allegedly succumbed to pressure from the executive.
"The Gachagwa's graft case has been withdrawn not on merit. The DPP may have succumbed to pressure from the ruling government," Orengo said.
The Siaya governor stressed that Gachagua's case was not withdrawn due to a lack of evidence, claiming that the law was bent to favour the DP by virtue of him holding a powerful position in the country.
"I know that if Gachagua was not holding the DP position, the legal mechanisms or institution could not have been used to withdraw the case," he said.
The Siaya governor was flanked by Rarieda Member of Parliament (MP) Otiende Amollo, his Deputy Governor William Oduol and a host of Members of Couty Assembly (MCAs) led by East Asembo MCA Gordon Onguru.
Nyanza supporters
Orengo, who later joined Otiende in handing over a Ksh56 million Teachers Training Institute, further told off the ruling government on its plans to lure ODM leader Raila Odinga's Nyanza supporters with goodies and relief food.
"The idea by President Ruto to use foodstuffs to shift allegiance to him in a bid to achieve his 2027 ambitions is dead on arrival," Orengo stressed.
The Siaya governor lamented that it was wrong for the government to weaponise development.
"The ruling government has the mandate to deliver services to all irrespective of political inclination. Just as 47 gets an equal share of national resources to develop regions," Orengo said.
"Ruto cannot starve counties for they have existing laws and formulas that he has to adopt," he added.
The governor added that one of the formulas is not political inclination hence Siaya must have its Ksh8 billion while Kirinyaga Ksh4 billion.
"We get more sources in Siaya because we are favoured by parameters set in the constitution to help in the distribution of resources vertically or horizontally."
No abandoning ODM
A similar statement was echoed by Otiende Amollo who maintained that they won't abandon ODM for Kenya Kwanza to pursue development.
"We won't abandon the ODM party for goodies/food staff donations from president Ruto's administration. We are not obligated to join UDA. We do not need to abandon the party that sponsored us to parliament in the name of pursuing development. I was elected in 2017 on an ODM party ticket and have not yet ditched it," Otiende said.
"We were still able to get Ksh56 million to do TTI which we have today launched. As leaders from the region, we shall embrace the goodies including the relief foodstuffs that will be distributed at Aram and Sega centres," he added.
Otiende said they would work with the government where necessary.
"We shall cooperate but not go into submission like prostrate."
