The political animosity between President William Ruto and Siaya Governor James Orengo has yet again come out after the latter skipped the head of state's visit to his county.
Ruto landed in Siaya Sunday morning, March 8, for the launch of the Siaya Community Digital Hub and later development tour of the county.
Ordinarily, county governors formally invite the members of the national executive who visit their areas, the president being no exception.
Governor Orengo was a no-show in Bondo when Ruto landed.
Instead, his deputy, William Oduol, took over the responsibility to welcome the head of state.
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Others present were Siaya senator and ODM leader Oburu Oginga, Homa Bay governor Gladys Wanga, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, and a host of other leaders, among them MPs.
Earlier, the governor accused the state of arresting his staff members ahead of the president's visit.
He claimed they were arbitrarily arrested and detained, demanding their release.
Orengo belongs to the rebel faction within ODM who have vowed to oppose President Ruto's re-election bid.
Others in that wing include Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna, Senator Godfrey Osotsi of Vihiga, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Saboti's Caleb Amisi.
They accuse Ruto of running the country down and overseeing, among others, wanton corruption, abductions and extrajudicial killings, incompetence in government, and attempts to kill devolution.
The faction also accuses Ruto of trying to hijack ODM and control it months after the demise of its longstanding leader, Raila Odinga.
The rebels face off with their counterparts in the party, who are loyal to Oburu and support Ruto and his re-election plan.
Oburu’s faction includes, among others, party national chairperson Gladys Wanga, deputy party leaders Governors Abdulswamad Nassir and Simba Arati, as well as Junet Mohamed, the minority leader in the National Assembly.
Whilst the Orengo side accuse Oburu loyalists of being used by Ruto to split ODM, the latter claim their adversaries are being sponsored by former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Meanwhile, soon to be a bone of contention is the National Delegates Conference (NDC) called by Oburu on March 27.
The NDC would come months after the rebels called for it to install the party's new leadership after Raila's demise.
However, they have vowed not to attend, claiming that Oburu doesn't reserve the right to call an NDC as his tenure was illegitimately installed.
