By Sandra Blessing
In what could be seen as a shift to the old political order and precedent, Winnie Odinga has told Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga that it is up to the people of Homa Bay to decide on her re-election.
During the 2022 Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) gubernatorial nominations, the late party leader Raila Amolo Odinga prevailed upon all aspirants to step down in favour of Wanga’s candidature.
Raila paired Wanga with Oyugi Magwanga as her deputy, while former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero defied Raila and contested the seat as an independent candidate. Kidero lost the election to Wanga.
Speaking in a recent TV interview, Winnie said, “I believe the question will come to the people of Homa Bay, and they will decide if her best was good enough.”
Winnie termed Wanga’s election as governor as momentous in the region.
“She is the Governor of Homa Bay, a position I believe is momentous in that region, especially with the election of women to higher office. I believe she thinks she is right, and I believe she believes what she is doing is right for the party.
“I believe she is trying her best and manoeuvring so many things, including governing the county and still travelling throughout the country,” she said.
The “forced political marriage” between Wanga and her deputy, Magwanga, has irretrievably broken down, with the latter declaring his intent to unseat the governor.
Recently, Magwanga told Wanga that she was a one-term governor and had failed to manage the county.
Magwanga claimed the county was in shambles, incapable of paying contractors and securing basic necessities for daily office operations.
He further accused Wanga of being ungrateful to those who helped her become governor in the 2022 general elections, saying her time was up.
“Wanga is a one-term governor and her time is up. I sacrificed for you to be governor, but you are a very ungrateful person. Now it is time for payback,” he said.
Last year, however, Wanga cracked the whip by relieving Magwanga of his responsibilities as the CEC for Agriculture and also sacked CEC Dr Peter Ogola.
On her X handle, she wrote, “Official Announcement: We’ve made changes to the membership of the County Executive Committee, effective immediately. This restructuring initiates a new phase of focused administration for our county.”
Last year, Wanga admitted there was a split in her government and promised to crack the whip on those who did not want to work but spoke badly about her administration while still serving in it.
Speaking at a funeral in Homa Bay, Wanga said she was adequately prepared to face her opponents in the 2027 gubernatorial race, which she termed a “battle royal.”
Wanga asked those unhappy with her administration to pack and leave so that she could bring in new people.
“To chieng’ ma owinjo ni sirkal rach ma ok onyal tiye, to ogwe tawo oweyo mondo jakanyada machielo bedi. Mano ema gini timore. Koso jo Kanyada orumo ma nyalo tiyo,” she said.
(If they are not happy with the government, let them resign and leave so that we can bring in new people from Kanyada who can work with me.)
Wanga’s Memo to Magwanga
The fallout between Wanga and Magwanga began immediately after the elections, with the governor pushing her deputy to the periphery of management and allegedly refusing to honour the memorandum of understanding (MOU) they signed before Raila.
In 2023, Wanga served Magwanga with a show-cause memo on why disciplinary action should not be taken against him over a donor-funded project, for which the coordinator was responsible.
“The Governor knew very well about the NAGRIP-sponsored chicken breeding project, and I told her that we inherited it from the previous regime when it already had its own problems and procedures.
“She needed to ask the coordinator, but instead, being malicious, she issued me with a memo. That was very disrespectful and meant to demean my person, but she got the best reply,” he said.
Deputy Governor’s Office Remains Closed
Magwanga’s deputy governor’s office has remained closed since the fallout last year and after Wanga relieved him of his duties as CEC for Agriculture and Livestock Development.
“My office still remains closed, and my staff have no access to it. What kind of management is this? You cannot close a public office and deny the holder access. This is a violation of the Constitution.
“But it is just a matter of time before the people of Homa Bay lock you out through the ballot. Your time is up, and you are going home,” he said.
“This was a calculated political power play aimed directly at undermining my office and obstructing the functions of county governance. We must remember that no individual holds public office as personal property. These offices are held temporarily on behalf of the people,” he added.
Magwanga and Wanga have since embarked on campaigns for the Homa Bay gubernatorial race.
