On Monday, Siaya Senator James Orengo together with Rarieda MP held a five-hour meeting with Raila Odinga, in presence of Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya at the ODM leader’s Karen home.
The leaders discussed among other things progress of BBI and the contentious issue of additional 70 constituencies, which had brought friction between Raila Odinga and members of his party sitting in the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC).
Despite the media talking of a huge fall-out in the orange party leadership, Senator Orengo dismissed reports of a feud with Raila, saying it was a creation of ‘conspiracy theorists’ aimed at diverting public attention from key political issues facing the country.
On Sunday, the Minority leader in the Senate and MP Otiende Amollo were in Butere, at Kakamega Governor Oparanya’s home for a Sunday service and left for Nairobi the same evening, to meet Raila the following day.
According to a source who spoke to this publication in confidence, the Siaya Senator tagged Governor Oparanya along due to the close relationship Mr. Odinga has with the county boss. The source adds the two leaders had to follow the Oparanya route because they know he has the ODM leader’s ear, and is his main point man in Western Kenya.
Oparanya said their meeting was an indication that there was no rebellion in the Orange party as has been reported in a section of the media.
“Our meeting today should dispel rumours of rebellion in ODM as this are wishful thinking of our political detractors,” the Kakamega Governor said on Monday, adding that they also discussed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
