By Habil Onyango
A political storm is bubbling in the ODM’s ‘political bedroom’ of Homa Bay County as United Democratic Alliance (UDA) eyes the region.
For the last two years, UDA has been flexing its muscle in the county and recently conducted peaceful grassroots elections, the first of it’s kind in the region.
After four decades, UDA became the first ruling party to open a branch office in Nyanza and mainly Homa Bay town that was attended by President William Ruto.
With the exit of the immediate former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga from the local political scene, Homa Bay County, the party’s bedroom is now becoming a battleground.
The battle has further been compounded by the current political alliance between Ruto and Raila that has birthed the broad-based government and thawed the once-emerging tension and suspicion by the two blocs.
Homa Bay the heart of the ODM party is currently facing an unprecedented future with the exit of its top leadership namely Raila, deputy party leaders Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho, and national chairman John Mbadi to the Kenya Kwanza government where they currently hold cabinet posts.
But the changes in the party’s national leadership structure stirred a political jostling for the Homa Bay branch chair between area senator Moses Kajwang, MPs Ongondo Were (Kasipul), Adipo Okuome (Karachuonyo) and Martin Owino( Ndhiwa).
However, the party settled on former Homa Bay Deputy Governor Hamilton Orata, who was the vice chair to succeed county chair Gladys Wanga.
The exit witnessed the entry of Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong’o as the interim Party leader, Wanga as the national chairman, Kisii Governor Simba Arati, his Mombasa counterpart Abdulllswamad Sherrif Nassir and Senator Godfrey Osotsi as the deputy party leaders.
In the last general elections, the County Governor, Senator, Woman Representative, all eight Members of Parliament, and 32 out of the 40 elected Members of the County Assembly seats were elected on the ODM ticket.
President Ruto has made history as the first head of state to visit Homa Bay nine times in a span of less than two years while in Office.
On his first visit to Nyanza region where he attended a church service in Homa Bay immediately after being sworn almost all the elected leaders on ODM ticket boycotted the event.
However, with his continued frequent tours in the County, Ruto has become the darling of the locals and even the elected leaders.
Ruto in his past visits initiated and commissioned various development projects in the County and even presided over the launching of the UDA County Branch Office.
Wanga now faces the daunting task of keeping ODM visible and vibrant against the onslaught from the UDA fraternity.
UDA had already initiated a membership registration drive in the County and other Counties in the Luo Nyanza region; however, this was stopped by the anti-Finance Bill demonstrations by a section of Kenyans.
However last week, the County UDA Executive Committee members re-launched the exercise vowing to clinch the majority of the elective positions in the County in the 2027 General elections.
Led by the former Nairobi Governor Evance Kidero the team said as the Luo Community, they will support Ruto’s re-election comes 2027 General elections.
“Already we have managed to register a sizeable number in UDA in Homa Bay county and we hope the number will go up,” he said.
But Karachuonyo ODM chairman George Maigo said ODM recruitment has been ongoing and that Homa Bay county remains the ‘bedroom’ of the party
“We are least perturbed by the recent announcement by UDA on their recruitment drive. That is just a cosmetic gesture that has no effect on the resident’s loyalty to the party,” he said.
Maigo welcomed UDA to undertake its recruitment drive saying currently the two national leaders are working together.
“We have been in this political situation and UDA presence in Homa Bay doesn’t bother us. Voters are loyal to the party,” he said.
