UDA officials in Nyanza have strongly criticized Siaya Governor James Orengo, accusing him of resorting to violence to salvage the ODM party from losing ground to the ruling party in the region. 

The UDA Nyanza team, spearheaded by Homa Bay County Chairman Kennedy Obuya, contends that the governor is reverting to outdated tactics in an attempt to salvage ODM Party’s waning political entity following the ongoing massive recruitment drive by the ruling UDA Party.

”Orengo has at the same time instructed Alego Usonga MP Hon. Samuel Atandi to be the enforcer of a violence strategy targeting UDA Party officials and new members across Luo Nyanza,” a statement from the group reads in part.

Speaking on behalf of Migori, Siaya and Kisumu UDA officials, Obuya said the ODM Party is attempting to isolate Luo Nyanza from political competition using threats of violence and intimidation after failing to persuade people to their way of thinking.

”The UDA Party is not afraid to engage the ODM Party in a political contest but such a contest has to be based on ideas, has to be within the confines of the law, and must not include threats of violence, intimidation and the use of negative ethnicity.”

Over the weekend, Ugenya MP David Ochieng and former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, both allied to UDA were ejected from a burial in Siaya county attended by Orengo and Raila Odinga, the ODM party leader.