President Ruto heads to Orengo’s Siaya backyard

President William Ruto is expected to tour Siaya county on Sunday for the homecoming of Medical Services PS Ouma Oluga.

The visit will also see him enter the political home turf of his rival, James Orengo.

The President will also preside over the official launch of the Siaya Community Digital Hub in Bondo, a brainchild of the area senator Oburu Oginga.

The hub aims to expose students to digital skills at an early age.

Dr Oluga, who was appointed Principal Secretary last year, will host the President in his rural backyard in a ceremony expected to draw thousands of residents and political leaders from across the region.

Oluga on Thursday called on residents to turn up in large numbers to welcome the President during the Sunday visit.

“I welcome everyone to Okila Primary School on March 8 for the meeting that will be presided over by President William Ruto,” Oluga said.

Ruto’s trip comes at a time when his administration has been deepening cooperation with sections of the opposition.

This follows bipartisan talks that produced the NADCO Report and the ten-point agenda between the government and ODM.

Already, the Kenya Kwanza administration is undertaking various projects running into billions of shillings.

Some of the projects, at different stages of completion, include affordable housing projects, institutional housing projects, markets and hospitals spread across the county’s eight constituencies.

In Alego Usonga, the government is undertaking an affordable housing project at the Siaya county staff headquarters. A similar project is ongoing in Yala town, as well as in Bondo AHP, Bondo town and Siaya civil servants’ housing projects.

Local leaders allied to the government said the President’s visit signals a renewed push by the national government to extend development programmes to all parts of the country, regardless of political affiliation.

The event is expected to attract a host of leaders from the region, turning Dr Oluga’s homecoming into a major political and development milestone for Siaya.

The visit is also politically significant as Siaya is the home turf of Governor James Orengo, a lone voice from the region opposed to President Ruto’s re-election.

In a radio interview on Thursday, Orengo said the Orange party would be making a major blunder by supporting Ruto in next year’s elections.

He warned there would be a mass exodus should the party resolve to support the President’s re-election bid.

“If ODM were to form an alliance with UDA and the President, it could trigger a mass exodus of members, as many supporters may not accept such a partnership.”