BY SAM ALFAN.
Three Siaya residents sued Governor James Orengo for allegedly sidelining his deputy William Oduol in the running affairs of the county government.
Peter Agoro, Erick Onyango and Elizabeth Akinyi claim in the petition that Mr Oduol has also been denied the basic needs to live with dignity as a human being.
The petitioners also allege that Governor Orengo has been frustrating Mr Oduol on service delivery activities.
“Without lawful reason or authority Mr Orengo has deliberately continued to not only frustrate Mr Oduol on service delivery activities, but he is also withholding benefits and allowance s payable in his position as the Deputy Governor and consequently affect the output of the officer,” says the petitioners.
The case was filed at the High Court in Nairobi but Justice Hedwig Ong’udi has ordered that the file be transferred to the High Court in Siaya for hearing and determination of the issues raised by the petitioners.
They further wants the court to compel Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to commence investigations into the activities of Orengo and the county government of Siaya and officers serving under him and institute criminal and civil proceedings against him.
It is their argument that Oduol should be granted the treatment and dignity in tandem with the office he holds and granted access to the benefits enjoyed by the office holder.
“This Court be pleased to issue a Conservatory Order to restrain the Respondent by themselves, officers, servants, agents or anyone acting on their behalf from further subjecting and sidelining the 1″ Interested Party (Deputy Governor) to ridicule and humiliation,” seeks the three voters.
They claim that the actions being meted by Orengo against his Deputy Governor by subjecting to ridicule and humiliation are illegal and unlawful, hence a breach of the law and the constitution.
The petitioners claim Orengo has unfairly blocked Oduol from receiving his dues through the county secretary’s office and that he has deliberately sidelined him while he remains the Deputy Governor, in violation of the principle of good governance.
“We are aware that Deputy Governor William Oduol has been placed in total darkness in regard to the affairs of the Siaya County Government and his potential are not utilized as a consequence and we are aware that the action by Governor Orengo humiliates and lowers the dignity and the stature of the office he holds as the Chairperson of the Deputy Governor’s Forum in Kenya,” the petition says.
It is their claim that the actions by Orengo are tantamount to killing not just the County Government of Siaya but also devolution in Kenya.
