James Orengo
Encyclopedia
James Orengo, is a lawyer and former presidential candidate in Kenya
. He comes from Ugenya Constituency
of Siaya District
; he was educated at Ambira Primary School and the Alliance High School. He is law graduate of the University of Nairobi
where he was the student body president in his final year. He graduated in 1974.
James Orengo is well known for his fight against unjust rule. He has spent a good number of years in detention and is viewed by many young upcoming politicians as a role model. Orengo was among the Young Turks
who brought about the what can be considered as the second liberation, when he, Michael Kijana Wamalwa, Kiraitu Murungi
, Raila Odinga, Paul Muite
and a bunch of old guards like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
, Masinde Muliro
and Martin Shikuku formed the formidable Forum for the Restoration of Democracy
, a vehicle that nearly (thanks on KANU'
s side, to the disunity amongst FORD Luminaries) pushed KANU out of power.
Orengo ran for presidency in 2002 for the Social Democratic Party, but finished fourth with just 0.4% of the votes. His party lost all of its parliamentary places, as many SDP:s leading figures had joined the NARC
coalition. Orengo has been formerly an MP for FORD-Kenya
. He is a founding-member of Muungano wa Mageuzi (Movement for Change), a cross party lobby group.
As of 2007 he is still the SDP chairman. The party supported Raila Odinga
of Orange Democratic Movement
at the 2007 general elections
.
In the 2007 elections Orengo won the Ugenya Parliamentary seat thus proving his return to Kenyan politics on ODM ticket. He had been in cold since the 2002 elections after losing the seat to Arcbishop Stephen Ondiek. In the post-election crisis, Orengo served as one of four spokesmen for the Orange Democratic Movement
in its attempts to settle its dispute with the Party of National Unity following the disputed presidential elections in Kenya in 2007.http://www.dialoguekenya.org/nteam.aspx
Orengo has since been sworn in as a Minister for Lands in the new Coalition Government formed by the National Accord Act of 2008. This is his first stint as a cabinet Minister. The minister recently discovered the sale of the Grand Regency hotel at 2.7 billion Kenyan Shillings (approximately $30 million US). He managed to blow the whistle when the transfer of the land ownership from the Central Bank of Kenya to the new Libyan owners was accomplish under the direction of Amos Kimunya
, finance minister. This has set off the Grand Regency Scandal
.
Mr. James Orengo is also determined to bring to an end political Injustices as far as Allocation and Acquisition of Land ias concerned and through his ministry, he intends to enact the national Land Policy and also to sdieze back all Public Land that was allegedly grabbed by powerful politicians.
James Orengo is married to Betty Murungi.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. He comes from Ugenya Constituency
Ugenya Constituency
Ugenya Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of three constituencies of Siaya District. The constituency was established for the 1963 elections.- Members of Parliament :- Wards :...
of Siaya District
Siaya District
Siaya District is one of the twelve districts that make up Nyanza Province in the southwest part of Kenya. It is bordered by Busia District to the North, Vihiga and Butere/Mumias Districts to the North-East, Bondo District to the South, and Kisumu District to the South-East. The total area of the...
; he was educated at Ambira Primary School and the Alliance High School. He is law graduate of the University of Nairobi
University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...
where he was the student body president in his final year. He graduated in 1974.
James Orengo is well known for his fight against unjust rule. He has spent a good number of years in detention and is viewed by many young upcoming politicians as a role model. Orengo was among the Young Turks
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
who brought about the what can be considered as the second liberation, when he, Michael Kijana Wamalwa, Kiraitu Murungi
Kiraitu Murungi
-Education:Kiraitu Murungi was born on 1 January 1952 in Kionyo village, Abogeta division of Meru District in Central Kenya. He attended Chuka High School before proceeding to Alliance High School. Murungi graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in Nairobi University in 1977 and attained a Master of Law...
, Raila Odinga, Paul Muite
Paul Muite
Paul Kibugi Muite is a Kenyan lawyer, politician and a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle to remove the Single party dictatorship, established by the Kenya African National Union in 1982, during the 1990s. He served a Vice Chairman of Ford-Kenya, whilst it was under the tutelage of Oginga Odinga...
and a bunch of old guards like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga was a Luo Chief, who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He later served as Kenya's first Vice-President, and thereafter as opposition leader...
, Masinde Muliro
Masinde Muliro
Masinde Muliro was a Kenyan politician, one of the central figures in the shaping of the political landscape in Kenya. A renowned freedom fighter, he campaigned for the restoration of multi-party democracy in Kenya in his later years....
and Martin Shikuku formed the formidable Forum for the Restoration of Democracy
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy was a political party and a movement against one-party system in Kenya. However, it split before the 1992 General elections, the first multiparty elections held in Kenya....
, a vehicle that nearly (thanks on KANU'
Kenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
s side, to the disunity amongst FORD Luminaries) pushed KANU out of power.
Orengo ran for presidency in 2002 for the Social Democratic Party, but finished fourth with just 0.4% of the votes. His party lost all of its parliamentary places, as many SDP:s leading figures had joined the NARC
National Rainbow Coalition
The National Rainbow Coalition was a coalition of Kenyan political parties in power from 2002 and 2005 when it fell apart in a controversy between its wings about a constitutional referendum.-Formation:...
coalition. Orengo has been formerly an MP for FORD-Kenya
Ford-Kenya political party
FORD–Kenya is a Kenyan political party and was part of the ruling NARC coalition that ended forty years of KANU rule in Kenya...
. He is a founding-member of Muungano wa Mageuzi (Movement for Change), a cross party lobby group.
As of 2007 he is still the SDP chairman. The party supported Raila Odinga
Raila Odinga
Raila Amollo Odinga , also popularly known to Kenyans as Agwambo, is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya in a coalition government. He has served as a Member of Parliament for Langata since 1992, was Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002, and was Minister of Roads,...
of Orange Democratic Movement
Orange Democratic Movement
Orange Democratic Movement refers to a political party in Kenya, which is the successor of a former grassroots people's movement which was formed in the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum. The erstwhile single party which separated in August 2007 into two...
at the 2007 general elections
Kenyan general election, 2007
Kenyan general election, 2007 was held on 27 December 2007 . It comprised Presidential, parliamentary and civic elections. The previous general election in Kenya was held in 2002.-See also:*Kenyan presidential election, 2007...
.
In the 2007 elections Orengo won the Ugenya Parliamentary seat thus proving his return to Kenyan politics on ODM ticket. He had been in cold since the 2002 elections after losing the seat to Arcbishop Stephen Ondiek. In the post-election crisis, Orengo served as one of four spokesmen for the Orange Democratic Movement
Orange Democratic Movement
Orange Democratic Movement refers to a political party in Kenya, which is the successor of a former grassroots people's movement which was formed in the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum. The erstwhile single party which separated in August 2007 into two...
in its attempts to settle its dispute with the Party of National Unity following the disputed presidential elections in Kenya in 2007.http://www.dialoguekenya.org/nteam.aspx
Orengo has since been sworn in as a Minister for Lands in the new Coalition Government formed by the National Accord Act of 2008. This is his first stint as a cabinet Minister. The minister recently discovered the sale of the Grand Regency hotel at 2.7 billion Kenyan Shillings (approximately $30 million US). He managed to blow the whistle when the transfer of the land ownership from the Central Bank of Kenya to the new Libyan owners was accomplish under the direction of Amos Kimunya
Amos Kimunya
Amos Muhinga Kimunya is a Kenyan politician and a Member of Parliament for Kipipiri Constituency, currently serving as Minister of Trade. He was Minister of Finance from 2006 to July 2008, when he resigned due to the Grand Regency Hotel scandal...
, finance minister. This has set off the Grand Regency Scandal
Grand Regency Scandal
Erupting in June 2008, the Grand Regency Scandal concerns the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel in Downtown Nairobi, Kenya, from the Central Bank of Kenya to an unspecified group of Libyan investors called "Libya Arab African Investment Company"...
.
Mr. James Orengo is also determined to bring to an end political Injustices as far as Allocation and Acquisition of Land ias concerned and through his ministry, he intends to enact the national Land Policy and also to sdieze back all Public Land that was allegedly grabbed by powerful politicians.
James Orengo is married to Betty Murungi.