By Team
The first woman Governor from Western Kenya and also the first woman Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Chairperson, Gladys Nyasuna Wanga, is currently facing a reality check with the unfolding political events in her backyard.
The celebrations that marked Wanga’s election as the Homa Bay Governor and subsequent appointment as ODM National Chairperson are fast coming to a screeching halt.
Homa Bay, the county of endless potential, is turning out to be the county of endless trouble for the Governor, with emerging political dissent within her government, battles and power struggles at the county assembly, protests by contractors over pending bills, the death of a key ally, fallout among allies, allegations of corruption and financial impropriety, and the changing narrative over performance and service delivery.
Homa Bay Majority Leader Mr Richard Ogindo may have inadvertently opened the lid when he accused some of the County Executive Committee Members (CECs) and nationally elected leaders of being behind plans to impeach him—an effort, he claims, meant to sabotage the Governor’s ongoing development agenda.
“I want to appeal to all the elected Members of the National Assembly and the Senate from Homa Bay that we only have one elected Governor and they should let her work,” Ogindo said.
Ogindo asserted that the planned impeachment was not meant to affect the Assembly but was targeted at the Governor.
The statement is powerful and telling, and with accusations levelled against CECs in her cabinet, it could point to a divided government reading from different scripts.
Ogindo survived impeachment after chaos erupted in the Assembly when Speaker Mr Polycarp Okombo denied receiving a petition motion to impeach the Majority Leader.
Ogindo, a key ally of Wanga, hails from the vote-rich Ndhiwa Constituency and is currently preparing to run for Parliament, which has led to a fallout between the Governor and area MP Martin Owino.
Ogindo, the immediate former Speaker Mr Julius Gaya, and former Budget Chairman Jeff Ongoro formed the “kitchen cabinet” in Wanga’s administration from the Assembly.
They were so powerful that most Members of the County Assembly were often forced to pledge allegiance to them. But following the fallout, Gaya was forced to resign as Speaker, declined an appointment to the cabinet, and instead settled for the largely ceremonial role of the Governor’s political advisor.
Ongoro also fell out of favour and was removed from the powerful Budget Committee. He is now leading a faction of MCAs attempting to impeach Ogindo.
The assassination of Kasipul MP Charles Ongondo Were was a hammer blow to Wanga, as he was the counterweight to her Deputy, Joseph Oyugi Magwanga.
Magwanga and Ongondo were bitter political rivals who never saw eye to eye. Ongondo often claimed that he would be Wanga’s running mate in the 2027 General Election.
His death has left a vacuum and exposed Wanga to vulnerabilities within the greater Rachuonyo political matrix, where some leaders are uneasy with her leadership.
Wanga had previously rallied a section of Homa Bay MPs to support the awarding of a direct ODM nomination ticket to Boyd Were, the son of the deceased.
However, this proposal is facing opposition from within her own cabinet, especially from CEC Joash Aloo, who has expressed interest in the seat and defied the Governor’s proposal that he step aside for Boyd.
Interestingly, Aloo was proposed for a cabinet appointment by Ongondo, who had been grooming him to take over the Kasipul seat in 2027, if circumstances remained unchanged.
Aloo has been holding a series of political meetings in Kasipul and other towns to marshal support, which has not sat well with the Governor, who wants him to abandon his ambition.
It is only a matter of time before Aloo either resigns or is sacked for defying the Governor over the Kasipul by-election.
There is growing disquiet within the cabinet, with some CECs said to be unhappy with the Governor’s management and leadership style. The county may soon witness a shake-up or an open rebellion.
Similarly, her efforts to enlist her deputy’s support for Boyd’s candidacy also failed when Magwanga declined and instead declared that he would support all candidates.
In what could be interpreted as a veiled attack on Wanga, Magwanga said interference with the Kasipul nomination and by-election by outsiders would not be tolerated.
“Let me say, the people of Kasipul should be allowed to make a choice of their preferred MP who will serve them. Unnecessary interference and peddling of cheap propaganda by some quarters will be rebuffed accordingly.
I was nominated by my party ODM and we ran on a joint party ticket with Governor Gladys Wanga. If anyone intends to bring a stranger into the mix, let us all resign and go back to the electorate to get a fresh mandate.
I want to state it here: I will not run for the parliamentary seat. I have graduated from that to the next level. So anyone dreaming of Magwanga going back to Parliament must be out of their mind,” he said in a recent interview.
The massive historical pending bills dating back to the reign of the first Governor, Cyprian Awiti, along with the current ones, have overstretched the county government and put it in frequent conflict with contractors.
The administration’s cat-and-mouse game over payment of these bills may trigger a flurry of activities, including litigation and demonstrations by contractors.
Likewise, the administration has come under scrutiny for alleged corruption and mismanagement of public and donor funds.
A red flag over the suspected misappropriation of public funds in the Department of Health was raised by the Head of Treasury, who called for disciplinary action against the Chief Officer.
In a letter dated 26 June 2024 from the County Executive Committee Member for Finance, Mr Solomon Obiero, to the County Secretary, titled “Suspected Misappropriation of Public Funds”, he wrote:
“Reference is made to a letter by the County Chief of Public Health and Medical Services, Ref No MOH/HB/CTY/COH/GEM/VOL.c9/FIN/6/23/Vol.2 (iB) dated 12 June 2024. I raised concern over the expenditure of NHIF and Linda Mama reimbursements amounting to Sh325,531,365 at source by his approval without the funds being transferred to the FIF-SPA.
In this regard, it is my belief as the Head of County Treasury that the accounting officer has, pursuant to Section 156(2)(b) of the PFM County Government Regulations, 2015, and the Homa Bay County FIF Act, 2023, issued AIEs contrary to our financial management procedures.
Therefore, the purpose of this letter is to refer the matter to you as the Head of Public Service for appropriate action under the statutory and other conditions of employment applicable to his improper conduct.”
However, Chief Officer Dr Kevin Osuri confirmed receipt of the letter from the Head of Treasury, saying the action was in line with the FIF Act and PFM regulations.
“The 2024 letter was in keeping with the FIF Act and PFM. Completely in order. It wasn’t an issue after we demonstrated that all facilities adhered to the Act,” he responded.
Concerns have also emerged over Sh500 million—part of the Sh1.4 billion allocated for infrastructural development by development partners under the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP 2) in Homa Bay County.
The Sh500 million was the first disbursement tranche of the total fund, but no work has commenced despite the release of the money.
Equally, questions have arisen over the awarding of the tender, with allegations that the first two bidders were overlooked in favour of the third.
The Principal Secretary in the State Department of Housing and Urban Development responded to an information request by a Homa Bay-based civic organisation, stating that implementation of the infrastructure upgrade had not yet commenced.
The five-year project began in March 2021 and is expected to close in July 2025 for International Development Agency (IDA) financing and in December 2028 for Agence Française de Développement (AFD) financing.
The question remains: Who will bring water to stop the fire?
Edited by Sandra Blessing.
