Siaya’s pioneer governor Cornel Rasanga Amoth has issued a blistering demand for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to immediately sever all ties with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) over the alleged harassment of former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju.
Rasanga, speaking at a charged press conference at his Segere rural home in Siaya County on Friday, warned that failure to act would force ODM to review its support for the broad-based government – and vowed to mobilize thousands of angry residents to occupy Tuju’s disputed Karen property in Nairobi.
“The war against Tuju is a war against Siaya residents,” Rasanga thundered. “He acquired the property through hard work, invested heavily and employs our people. We cannot keep quiet while one of our sons is being harassed and dispossessed by unnamed senior individuals.”
The fiery former governor accused ODM of allowing itself to be “swallowed” by UDA and declared he had personally withdrawn support for the broad-based arrangement. “As an individual, I have stopped supporting the broad-based government and I am urging my supporters and all ODM supporters countrywide to do the same,” he said.
He challenged top ODM officials and Siaya leaders to urgently reassess their alliance with President Ruto if the harassment does not stop immediately.
Meanwhile, current Siaya Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo has piled on the pressure, dramatically alleging that Tuju has been abducted amid the same bitter property dispute. Speaking at a church event on Sunday, March 22, Orengo revealed Tuju’s vehicle was found abandoned in Karen with keys still inside.
“Ndungu yetu Tuju ametekwa nyara,” Orengo told the congregation in Kiswahili. “Gari yake imeachwa mahali, na vifunguo za gari ziko pale pale. Tumuombee Tuju kwa sababu amepitia matatizo mingi sana.”
Days earlier, Orengo had branded Tuju “a victim of ferocious capitalism and a bloody cabal in a kleptocratic state,” lamenting the judiciary’s failure to protect citizens from powerful interests and declaring: “The struggle continues.”
The row centres on Tuju’s prime Karen assets – including Dari Business Park and Tamarind restaurant – tied to a disputed multi-billion-shilling loan from the East African Development Bank. Police officers reportedly stormed the property in the dead of night earlier this month, forcibly removing Tuju despite ongoing court appeals.
Rasanga framed the saga as a direct assault on Siaya’s interests, adding that Tuju “has invested and employed people” in the region.
In a call for internal peace, the former governor urged warring ODM factions – Linda Ground and Linda Mwananchi – to embrace dialogue. He proposed retired Kisumu Catholic Archbishop Zachaeus Okoth and retired Maseno West Anglican Bishop Joseph Otieno Wasonga to lead mediation efforts.
Rasanga ended with a stern warning for ODM’s future: the party must not allow itself to be swallowed by UDA and should field its own presidential candidate in the next General Election.
The twin interventions from Siaya’s most influential leaders have intensified calls for ODM to rethink its partnership with UDA, exposing deep cracks in the broad-based government just months after its formation.
As pressure mounts on Raila Odinga’s party, political watchers say the Tuju saga could trigger a major realignment ahead of 2027 – with Siaya’s bloc emerging as a decisive swing force.
The ball is now firmly in ODM’s court: protect one of its own, or risk losing the loyalty of a key regional stronghold.
