This archive report was first published on 10 May 2021.
Published on May 10, 2021
Senate Minority Leader James Orengo has dismissed reports of a rift with his Party Leader Raila Odinga, accusing conspiracy theorists of spreading misinformation.
Orengo's comments come after he and Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo faced backlash from some members of Raila's ODM Party inner circle for calling for amendments to the Building Bridges Initiative Constitution Amendment Bill.
The proposed amendments, including the creation of 70 new constituencies, were criticized by Orengo and Amolo as potentially entrenching inequality.
In a tweet, Orengo suggested that reports of a feud with Raila were a diversionary tactic aimed at distracting the public from key issues.
"In Kenya's politics, life really imitates art. But the artist is a conspiracy theorist with a hypothesized fanciful narrative fed as news or fact. Before the big lie unfolds, public debate on the big issues of the day is just a shouting match. Full of sound and fury signifying nothing," Orengo stated.
However, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen took issue with Orengo's comments, accusing him of insincerity and challenging him to vote against the constitution amendment bill when the Senate reconvenes.
