HE Raila Odinga(L) with SC James Orengo at the Capitol Hill Office
Senator James Orengo’s new role as the minority leader in the Senate has catapulted him to the pinnacle of Kenya politics and the second in Command to HE Raila Odinga in ODM and Nyanza politics.
Brilliant, ambitious and daring are the three words that best describe the fiery longest serving member of parliament in Kenya and witty and unrelenting debater James Aggrey Orengo. Countless are the times the lawmaker has been teargased, beaten and bruised by law-enforcement authorities.
But he is admired by friend and foe alike for his fortitude and courage, particularly his physical presence at trouble spots – such as last year’s pro-reform rallies and the pro-pluralism street demonstrations preceding the 1992 General Election and during his tenure as the UoN Student Leader in 1973/74 when he led the first ever students strike in the university . People marvel at the originality of his articulate and radical opinions. He is acutely aware of the troubles of being an exile too – he went through that as a political fugitive in Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe in the early 1980s.
It was Senior Counsel Orengo who took the Government to court in 1990 when then Registrar of Societies Joseph King’arui turned down an application by the late doyen of Opposition politics Oginga Odinga to register the National Democratic Party. In 1993 during the Jaramogi’s burial, it was Mr Orengo who stunned the thousands gathered at Nyamira Village, Bondo, with a tongue-lashing on President Moi – who was present at the funeral. It’s the same Orengo who gave Moi the kleptocrat a scare of his life when he brought to the floor of the August House a no confidence motion against him in 1998.
#TheUntoldStory; James Orengo remains the face of human rights activism for over 45 years now.In his own words, he describes activism is being a part of his DNA.
In the wake of the popular handshake by the People’s President Raila Odinga with President Uhuru Kenyatta which SC Orengo has fully supported. He has continued to encourage Raila to pursue the cooperation while remaining committed to electoral justice and other Human rights issues, he wants those who lost relatives or were maimed in political violence last year compensated, cases filed against Opposition MPs and businessman Jimmy Wanjigi terminated and Miguna Miguna be allowed unconditional return to his Country by the Government.
Therefore his unwavering sacrifice to salvage the poor from bad governance and his bravery in such situations put him only second to HE Raila Odinga in this country.
menyarelease 