Only two years after his entry into elective politics, Siaya Senator James Orengo indicated to the men who wielded power at the time that he would be a troublesome man going forward.
After securing the Ugenya parliamentary seat with the help of then opposition figure and founding Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, he went ahead to begin picking fights with forces allied to then President Daniel Moi.
One of such incidents was in April 1982 when he picked a fight with then Attorney General Charles Njonjo, a man who wielded massive power in Moi's government.
It happened that Orengo, then only 29, was about to move a motion in parliament, but paused to insult Njonjo who had just walked in, saying that he was dressed like a Queen's butler.
"The honourable Member for Kikuyu has just come in and I almost thought I was seeing the Queen’s butler walking into the House," said Orengo, according to the Nation.
He was met by an angry response from Njonjo, but went ahead to repeat the same minutes later.
"Mr Speaker this is the second time we are hearing that stupid word and this honourable member is using. If (Mr Orengo) has nothing to say, he should leave me out of the discussion," Njonjo lamented.
And though he though he had won the battle, he was wrong as a few weeks later he was arrested and charged with forgery stealing a client's money and issuing false cheques.
Orengo was later released on a Ksh50, 000 bond by then Nairobi Magiatrate Abdul Rauf, after fellow lawyers Kasanga Mulwa and Kibet Saina offered to be his sureties.
Despite promises that he would attend court later as was directed by the judge, the latter abandoned his seat and fled into Tanzania days later.
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