Ukwala, Aug. 5 — Siaya gubernatorial candidate David Ochieng tore into rival Nicholas Gumbo at a mega rally in Ukwala on Tuesday, accusing him of campaigning on questions of personal origin rather than a real development agenda for the county.
The Ugenya MP told the crowd that Siaya’s next governor must be judged on substance, not identity, effectively telling Gumbo to come with a plan or step aside. He extended the attack to Governor James Orengo, questioning what benefit the “elder statesman” tag Orengo has courted in opposition circles would actually deliver to residents.
"In the Linda Mwananchi lineup, Kalonzo is President, Sifuna Deputy and Orengo is an elder. Which seat in the constitution is the elder? What benefit does this elder seat confer to the people of Siaya and Kenya?"
David Ochieng - Ukwala
Ochieng paired the attacks with a pointed political declaration, backing President William Ruto for a second term and crediting his administration with cutting fertiliser prices for farmers, an endorsement that puts him at odds with the ODM establishment that has long controlled the county.
The clash comes as Orengo’s decision to skip re-election and eye a 2027 presidential bid has thrown the governorship wide open, splitting ODM between Orengo’s camp and party leader Oburu Odinga, who is backing Gumbo. Ochieng, who leads his own party, the Movement for Democracy and Growth, has already turned down Oburu’s offer to run under ODM instead.