Orengo, who dissaproved allegations of financial mismanagement that have shaken his administration, defended his administration and urged the EACC to look into all the allegations. The new development ushers in a new chapter in the long-running dispute that imperils Orengo’s aspirational platform.
During a news conference on Friday, 2 June 2023, Orengo stated that he has ordered the EACC to look into any allegations that his deputy submitted misleading information to government agencies in order to paint his administration in a negative light.
The governor requested that EACC conduct a comprehensive investigation of the deputy governor’s involvement in preside over the committee on pending bills after falling out over what the latter said were ideological differences.
“The Commission should specifically ascertain if the deputy governor utilized his position of authority over the committee for rent-seeking. In a statement delivered by his Chief of Staff, Colonel (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna, Orengo stated that the county administration would make an effort to help the commission decide this issue.
The governor has also questioned whether his troubled deputy has written to any relevant organ, agency, or office to bring up any of the issues related to financial misconduct. Orengo also wants the EACC to look into the nearly Sh18 million spent on renovating the deputy governor’s office.
Orengo urged the EACC to look into the claims against the Deputy Governor of interfering in the awarding of contracts for various projects in the county.
He also requested that the EACC look into claims that Oduol interfered with the process of awarding contracts for several county projects.
“By virtue of the fact that the Deputy Governor has gone public to claim that he has made complaints to the EACC, DCI, and the County Assembly, whether the said reports/allegations constitute the offence of giving false information to a public or state office,” he added.
While pledging to offer services to the residents of Siaya, Orengo requested that the commission conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether any cash withdrawals made between September 2022 and the present have been used for the reasons specified in the budget and pertinent legal and financial documents.
Additionally, he requested that the panel look into any irregularities, if any, in the reallocation of funds originally intended for Siaya County Stadium to Migwena Stadium.
Orengo stated that the EACC has been conducting investigations into the suspected misappropriation of Ksh600 million by Siaya county government personnel who worked under the previous regime.
“The investigations began before the current administration took office and have yet to be completed. “It is possible that the amount of money stolen was greater than Ksh600 million,” Orengo remarked.
He noted that the EACC’s investigation of several county employees and seizure of some critical papers in October last year created the appearance that it had honed in on the key suspects. Orengo stated that the agency’s inaction has allowed for conjecture about the continuing probes.
“This is an issue that could have been avoided if the process had been completed on time. This is because the debates in the media about suspected financial misuse in the county government are issues that the Commission was concerned about long before the present administration took office,” said Orengo.
