Learn more about the Biography of James Orengo, including his age, siblings, family, net worth, career history, and more.
Who is James Orengo?
James Aggrey Bob Orengo, popularly known as James Orengo, is a seasoned Kenyan politician and a veteran lawyer, with over 30 years of experience in governance and the rule of law.
Having been elected as the Ugenya Constituency Member of Parliament in 1980, at just the age of 29 , he became Kenya’s youngest MP at the time.
Additionally, Orengo is one of the few Kenyan lawyers who have attained the professional grade of “senior counsel” in their field; he gained the title under the former president, Mwai Kibaki.
Currently, he is serving as the Siaya County governor.
Now, let’s take a look at the biography of James Orengo.
Biography of James Orengo
James Orengo was born on 22nd February in 1951 in Ugenya constituency, Siaya County, to Apolo Stefano Olunga Orengo (a senior police chief) and Josfina Atieno Olunga Orengo.
In the year 1958, Orengo started schooling at Ambira Primary School and completed his primary education in 1964.
He then proceeded to Alliance High School and completed his Form Six in 1970.
Thereafter, James Orengo attended the University of Nairobi, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in law in 1974. While in his second year at UoN, he was elected as the university president.
Later, he enrolled at the prestigious Kenya School of Law for his statutory post-graduate studies.
He served as a member of parliament for Ugenya Constituency for a long time until 2013, when he became the first senator of Siaya County under the new constitution of 2010.
In the just concluded 2022 general elections, he won the Siaya County gubernatorial seat.
Basically, James Orengo can be described as a brilliant, ambitious, and dedicated professional human rights activist who defends the Kenyan constitution.
James Orengo’s age
James Orengo was born on 22nd February 1951 in Ugenya constituency in Siaya County. Subtract his birth year from the current year to get his correct age.
James Orengo Siblings
James Orengo was born alongside four other siblings: Owino Orengo, Okoth Orengo, Omondi Orengo, and Mary Awuor.
However, not much about the siblings is known to the public.
James Orengo Family
James Orengo is the son of Apollo Stefano Olunga Orengo and Josfina Atieno Olunga Orengo.
He is married to the beautiful Betty Kaari Orengo, and they have both sired six children.
James Orengo’s wife
Apart from Orengo being a renowned politician and an accomplished lawyer, he is also a family man. He is married to Betty Kaari Murungi.
She is a sibling to the former Meru County governor, Kiraitu Murungi.
Just like her husband, she is also a professional lawyer with experience of over 27 years.
She is a graduate of both the University of Nairobi and the Kenya School of Law.
Betty Kaari is an experienced consultant and legal advisor, having worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on gender-related crimes.
Additionally, she has broad experience in transitional justice processes, women’s human rights, gender, constitutionalism, and governance.
Her career as a commercial lawyer has taken her to several countries, such as Rwanda, Northern Uganda, South Sudan, and Rwanda.
James Orengo net worth
The net worth of James Orengo is estimated to be about Kshs. 400 million.
He is among the wealthiest Kenyans, with expensive houses and cars.
James Orengo’s children
James Orengo and Betty Murungi are blessed with six children. That is: Zeni Orengo, Bob Orengo, Josephine Orengo, Lavender Orengo, Steven Orengo, and Michael Orengo.
All are now adults pursuing their careers.
James Orengo’s life history
The interesting life story of James Orengo dates back to his youthful years in the 1980s.
In 1980, when he was just 29 years old, he became the youngest MP in Kenya after he was elected to the Ugenya Constituency on a KANU party ticket. However, this was short-lived, as he was among those who were involved in the 1982 coup and later got detained.
In the 1992 multi-elections, Orengo was subsequently elected as the Ugenya Constituency MP on a Ford-Kenya ticket. He served as an MP until 2002, when he contested for the presidency (for the Social Democratic Party) but lost the seat, finishing fourth in the race having garnered 0.4% of the votes.
As of the 2007 general elections, James Orengo won the Ugenya parliamentary seat (on an ODM ticket), though he had been out of parliament since 2002 after losing the presidency seat.
Since James Orengo joined active politics, he has constantly been in the opposition. Although he vied for the presidency in 2022, he has remained a loyal soldier to Raila Odinga.
After the 2013 general elections, Orengo stepped down as an MP and vied for the Siaya senatorial seat, which he won, and worked in the senate until this year, 2022.
In the just concluded 2022 general elections, he was elected as the Siaya County Governor.
Prior to serving in the Senate, Orengo had previously served as the Minister of Lands between 2008 and 2013.
The accomplished lawyer’s name will be penned down in history books as the senior counsel who led in the petition against the 2017 general elections at the Supreme Court, which he won, leading to the nullification of the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Not forgetting, Orengo has fought many court cases against the government during the reign of Daniel Arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, and Uhuru Kenyatta, and most of the time emerged victorious.
He also worked as a personal lawyer for Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame.
Thus, it is without doubt that Lawyer James Orengo is one of the best lawyers Kenya has ever had.
It is particularly surprising how Orengo has remained consistent throughout the last three decades. Obviously, his rise and qualifications have not come easily, but he has managed to keep rising in his professionalism.
Final words on Biography of James Orengo
Coming to the end of the biography of James Orengo, both his political and legal careers have been successful ones and have contributed to most of his achievements.
Last but not least, James Orengo is a great and inspirational leader with an unbeatable spirit and, more so, a great example to many.
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