NRM leader Raila Odinga and his lawyer James Orengo. [Photo/nairobinews.co.ke]
Where did Lawyer James Orengo disappear to? In the recent weeks, the Siaya senator has been missing from major NASA events, making analysts to conclude that he is being punished for giving Raila bad legal advice to withdraw from the presidential race. After the Supreme Court nullified President Kenyatta’s resounding election win in the August 8 polls, Orengo, Raila’s lead lawyer, advised the NASA candidate to withdraw from the race, after IEBC had gazetted the names of the two main candidates. Using the 2013 advisory opinion of the Willy Mutunga Supreme Court, if a candidate withdrew from the contest, IEBC is to call for fresh nominations and an election within 90 days. That is what Orengo used to persuade his party leader to drop out of the race.But the following day, Justice John Mativo made a landmark ruling in allowing Third Way Alliance presidential candidate Ekuro Aukot, now the official opposition leader, to join the race for president. The court said the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling was not binding. IEBC used that decision to include the six other presidential candidates who had taken part in the race in August. That threw Raila off balance. Orengo’s advice did not work. What Raila needed to do, then, was stop the election from happening before November 1. He did not succeed. Although Raila’s name was on the ballot, President Uhuru Kenyatta ended up winning the Supreme Court-ordered fresh presidential election by more than 98% of the votes cast. The last election was Raila’s last chance of running for president, and Orengo misled him into wasting the only bullet remaining. In the months leading up to the elections, Orengo was the main person at NASA. That continued even after the election results were nullified. But since it became clear that the election would go on without Raila’s participation, the senator has been missing from the frontline. Analysts now think he is paying the price for ending Raila’s political career.