‘Bring it on!’ Governor Orengo dares EACC boss Mbarak on alleged graft probe

Siaya Governor James Orengo has hit out at Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO Twalib Mbarak over his thinly-veiled remarks intimating an ongoing graft probe in the devolved unit.

Mbarak, in a press address on Thursday, seemingly implied that the anti-corruption agency may soon pounce on the Siaya Governor upon completion of an investigation into the county’s affairs.

The address came after Orengo, also a prominent lawyer, appeared at the EACC headquarters on Tuesday to represent former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani who had been arrested and briefly questioned over alleged irregular use of funds during his tenure as Marsabit Governor.

The Governor, speaking to the press after Yatani was released, read malice into the arrest and slammed the commission, urging them to follow the law even in carrying out their duties.

Mbarak, in his Thursday address, responded: “When you arrest somebody who is in the government, you have been bought by the opposition. When you go for somebody in the opposition, you have been bought by the government. So this is common noise we’re used to.

Yesterday, the noise they made, one of the lawyers there is a Governor, his county we have even focused on it...it is in our red flag...so you can tell that lawyer-cum-Governor we may end up in his place very soon.”

Governor Orengo, in a subsequent statement signed by his Press Director Victor Marende, condemned the remarks by the EACC boss terming them reckless and filled with nothing but falsehoods.

He however welcomed any allegedly ongoing probe, as intimated by Mbarak, saying he was not scared as the commission even made arrests during the previous county administration but the cases did not see light of day.

“The statement made by the CEO of EACC today in regard to the alleged on-going investigations touching on Siaya County, with an unfortunate and nuanced reference to the Governor, was reckless, irresponsible, unjustified and legally inexcusable,” read the statement.

“It was empty and contained nothing new, except outrageous hyperbole, falsehood and callous sadism. There have been arrests made in Siaya County as long as six (6) years ago. But no prosecutions. Complaints in regard thereto have been made many a time. But apropos the Governor, we say bring it on without delay. We are unbwogable!”