By Habil Onyango
Homa Bay County has been without a Deputy Governor for almost two weeks following the resignation of Joseph Oyugi Magwanga.
Magwanga’s resignation arose from a longstanding feud that intensified after the Kasipul by-election in November 2025 and allegations of political sabotage.
Magwanga, who was elected alongside Wanga, went against the party’s directives by supporting Philip Aroko, an independent candidate, instead of ODM’s Boyd Were.
In his resignation letter, Magwanga cited frustration from the county’s top leadership that hindered his ability to fulfill his duties as Deputy Governor.
On February 27, 2026, Governor Wanga issued a statement acknowledging Magwanga’s resignation and declared the office of the Deputy Governor vacant.
“I acknowledge receipt of a letter dated February 26, 2026, from the Deputy Governor tendering his resignation from office with immediate effect. I have formally accepted the said resignation,” the statement read in part.
Despite the vacancy, Governor Wanga has continued her development agenda without revealing any potential nominees to replace the former Deputy Governor.
Magwanga, who hails from Kasipul constituency, has expressed his intention to challenge his former boss in the 2027 general elections and has been actively campaigning across the county to garner support for his candidacy.
Several names have been rumored as possible candidates for the DG position.
Among them are Solomon Obiero, the County Executive Committee Member for Finance; Professor Ben Muok, the County Secretary; and Isaac Ongiri, Chief Officer in the Department of Governance, Administration, and Devolution. Others mentioned include Joash Aloo (CECM for Water, Environment, and Climate Change), Dannish Onyango (Agriculture and Roads CECM), and Samwel Ochillo, the former Homa Bay County Assembly Speaker.
Of the proposed nominees, Obiero and Muok appear to be the frontrunners due to the trust and rapport they have developed with the Governor.
Both have been representing the Governor in high-level meetings across Homa Bay and beyond.
Muok, for his part, has emphasized his commitment to supporting the Governor in delivering on the promises made to the people of Homa Bay during the last campaign.
“I sincerely thank those who have been sending messages of goodwill and proposing my name for the position of Deputy Governor, which I receive with deep humility,” he posted on his Facebook page.
“It reflects the confidence you have not only in me as a leader but also in the wisdom of H.E. the Governor who entrusted me with the responsibility of serving as the County Secretary.”
He further stated, “For many years, seeing me as capable of carrying forward the aspirations of our county is an honor I truly value,” he stated.
“However, my full focus remains on supporting H.E. the Governor to deliver on the promises she made to the people of Homa Bay,” he added.
“The dream of economic transformation for our great county is bigger than any one position and continues today, tomorrow, and into the future.”
Recently, a faction from Kasipul, including Omollo Masud and Ken Otieno, appealed to Governor Wanga to nominate Ochillo for the position, claiming it rightfully belongs to their constituency.
They argued that the former Speaker has sufficient experience and has proven himself during his tenure as Assembly Speaker.
“To the Governor, we appeal to you to give the vacant Deputy Governor position to our son Ochillo to fulfill the remaining term. However, come 2027, you are free to choose whoever you want,” Masud stated, expressing their support for Wanga’s second term.
“The position belongs to us, and we urge the Governor to consider Ochillo as a replacement for Magwanga,” he added.
Balancing regional interests
Governor Wanga now faces the challenge of achieving regional balance in her selection for the Deputy Governor position until 2027 and possibly beyond.
According to a pre election pact on the division of leadership positions, the larger Homa Bay and Rangwe constituencies received the Governor position, while the larger Rachuonyo region (Kasipul, Kabondo Kasipul, and Karachuonyo constituencies) received the Deputy Governor position.
Suba South and North, which produced Senator Moses Kajwang’, while the larger Ndhiwa constituency provided a position for a Cabinet Secretary. Karachuonyo also secured the Woman Representative position currently held by Osogo Bensuda.
Considering that Magwanga hails from the Rachuonyo region, which holds a majority of the votes, the Governor may feel compelled to nominate someone with strong support from that region to help secure votes against her main competitor in the 2027 elections.
Currently, only Magwanga has declared his interest in the Deputy Governor seat, but it remains unclear under which party ticket he will run, given that Wanga is the ODM National Chairperson.
