On a day that the Linda Mwanainchi team was in Meru finally talking to people, James Orengo was doing his theatrics in Awendo pretending to be the presidential candidate for the opposition in Kenya. Orengo is dead politically because he is the worst governor in the country.
When will James Orengo ever hold a public rally in Siaya County where is the governor? Never because he is a complete failure as a governor and the people there hate him as a looser and he cannot even win an MCA seat in Siaya County. Orengo is now reduced to his nonsense of trying to look relevant in Kenya politics. He is a gone case and he knows it.
Siaya Governor James Orengo says his car was torched in Awendo and that live bullets were fired at the vehicle as he attended a rally in Migori County. Orengo made the claims in a statement after a rally in Migori Town was disrupted by teargas.
In a video from the incident, Orengo was seen quickly getting back into his car before the vehicle sped away as teargas was being thrown. His convoy followed closely, with motorbikes also seen speeding behind the vehicles.
Orengo later posted a photo of what he said was his burnt car.“They swore we’d never step foot in Migori. They failed,” Orengo said.
He thanked residents of Migori for what he described as their support before referring to the incident in Awendo.“To the cowards who sprayed live bullets into my car and torched it in Awendo to hide your crimes: your desperate violence only proves your fear,” he said.
Orengo also said the incident would not stop the political movement. “You can’t burn down a movement, and you will never intimidate me,” he said.He ended his message with the phrase, “Unbwogable!”The incident comes about two weeks after activities linked to the Linda Mwananchi movement in Homa Bay were disrupted.
Linda Mwananchi in Meru: Kawira Mwangaza welcomes Sifuna for anticipated rally
Former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has welcomed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other leaders allied to the Linda Mwananchi movement as the political caravan heads to Meru for a much-anticipated rally on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
The visit marks another major stop for the opposition-leaning movement, which has intensified grassroots mobilisation across different parts of the country in recent months, with Meru emerging as its latest political battleground.
Sifuna, who has become one of the most visible faces of the Linda Mwananchi movement, has been rallying supporters ahead of the Meru meeting, urging residents to turn up for what is expected to be a high-profile political engagement.
Ahead of the rally, Mwangaza was captured sharing a light moment with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, signalling the growing camaraderie among leaders associated with the Linda Mwananchi political movement.
Mwangaza, who recently joined the Linda Mwananchi team and has participated in several of its rallies outside Meru, has been leading mobilisation efforts ahead of the group’s arrival in her political backyard. Her involvement gives the movement a prominent local face as it seeks to make inroads into the Mount Kenya East region.
A crucial Mount Kenya stop
The Meru rally will be the Linda Mwananchi movement’s third major visit to the broader Mount Kenya region after previous engagements in Thika and Nyandarua.
The movement has increasingly shifted its attention towards regions that have traditionally not been considered strongholds of the opposition, as it seeks to broaden its national appeal ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The strategy became more pronounced following the group’s recent tour of Homa Bay, where its activities were disrupted by chaos. Since then, Linda Mwananchi leaders have continued with a nationwide mobilisation campaign, bringing together politicians from different regions under a common platform focused on citizen-centred politics.
Mwangaza-Sifuna partnership under spotlight
For Mwangaza, Sunday’s rally presents an opportunity to demonstrate her continued political influence in Meru following her exit from the county government.
The former governor’s decision to align herself with the Linda Mwananchi movement has added a new dimension to Meru politics, particularly as opposition leaders seek alliances and new political formations ahead of 2027.
Sifuna’s arrival, meanwhile, is expected to test the movement’s appeal in the region, with the outspoken senator having emerged as one of the key mobilisers of the Linda Mwananchi caravan.
In the days leading up to the event, Mwangaza raised concerns over plans to disrupt the meeting, while former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi also claimed that some youths had been mobilised to interfere with the rally while using his name.
As Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi team descend on Meru, all eyes will be on Mwangaza’s ability to mobilise support on home turf and whether the rally can give the movement fresh momentum in the politically significant Mount Kenya region.
The Meru stop is expected to be more than just another rally, it will offer an early test of the emerging Mwangaza-Sifuna political partnership and Linda Mwananchi’s ambition to build a truly national movement.
“Turuhusu sisi kama kizazi kipya twandike plani ya future ya nchi hii kwa sababu yako ilikushinda,” he said.
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
