By Anderson Ojwang
Today is the verdict day for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga.
It is a make-or-tear situation for the daughter of Wangaya, as it is the first time her political acuity and career come to a real test. A test of where rubber meets the road and a bare-knuckle engagement.
A double-edged sword for the former Kisumu Girls head girl when she comes face to face with seasoned street politicians baying for her political soul and out to dim her shining light.
That is why Wanga went out in full force to appeal to the residents not to turn up in large numbers for the rally, as it would annoy President William Ruto of the broad-based coalition.
“Do not look for money from those people. If you are hungry, call me and I will send you money to eat. Do not attend the rally in huge numbers as it will annoy President Ruto,” she pleaded.
Date
Wanga finally has a date with the former Mageuzi leader and Siaya Governor James Orengo. For long, the two leaders have been shadow boxing. Today, it is the day of a show of might and superiority. Who will carry the day?
Orengo, a hardened shrew and master of street politics, finally has a date with the scheming and ambitious daughter of former Kisumu councilor the late Nyasuna.
Similarly, from Orengo, Wanga faces off with the Nyalenda slum-born Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
Owino, an alumnus of Kisumu Boys and former Nairobi University student leader, will finally test the former and first Kenyatta University woman student Secretary General of the organisation.
Babu in 2024 gave Wanga a taste of his salt during her thanksgiving ceremony in her Kochia Village for her appointment as ODM Chairperson.
The crowd demanded that Babu speak, and he went with the crowd, which forced ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohammed to castigate him for allegedly trying to grab the mantle from Raila Odinga while he was still alive.
The politically cheeky, calculative, and financially muscled Caroli Omondi is a nightmare for Wanga.
Linda Mwananchi will attend the mass service in Suba South, Caroli’s backyard, where he had camped most of the week.
That is where Cabinet Secretary for Treasury John Mbadi comes from and is the immediate former area MP. Mbadi and Caroli have no lost love between them.
Wanga for the last one week camped in Suba South, rallying the residents against attending the Linda Mwananchi rally.
“I thought as MPs from Homa Bay we would work together, but Caroli has refused and is undermining Mbadi. Do not attend the rally. Go to your businesses,” she said.
For the last two weeks, Homa Bay County witnessed a money windfall from the Governor and her team as they traversed the region to de-campaign the rally.
The immediate former Secretary General Edwin Sifuna is finally invading Wanga’s backyard to touch base and seek support from the late Raila’s political bedroom.
Sifuna’s encroachment into what was seen as emerging President Ruto’s bedroom in Nyanza could be a nightmare for Wanga, a key ally to the President and one of the architects of Sifuna’s sacking.
It is a date of the hunter and the hunted, with the latter on a revenge mission to rewrite the story of when the hunter becomes the hunted.
Make
Wanga must do all within her power to ensure the rally fails. In her pursuit of queenpin and community leadership, this is the first litmus test on her political career in the absence of former Prime Minister the late Raila Odinga.
This explains why Homa Bay MP Opondo Kaluma declared that Linda Mwananchi were not allowed in the town and that they were to conduct night searches for supporters of the group who had checked into hotels and homes.
“From now going forward, we are giving command that any person saying ‘one term’ should be dealt with. We are going to ransack hotels and homes where they are hiding,” Kaluma said.
Kaluma warned business owners of dire consequences for hosting members of Linda Mwananchi in their facilities.
“If you are a hotel owner in Homa Bay Constituency, you must know the people who have slept in your hotel. We will deal with that person and even the hotel,” he said.
Kaluma said the county leadership and the entire leadership had given directions.
“My people, I came to talk to the youths to protect us now that we have been invaded by the enemy. I have finished arrangements with your leadership. Fuel is provided. From here we move to Imbo, Rodi, and Homa Bay. Our party is ODM. It is President Ruto’s second term,” he said.
A vote of no confidence
A successful rally would be a vote of no confidence in Wanga and may trigger a negative reaction in the broad-based coalition. A successful rally may dilute her power and take the gubernatorial battle a notch higher.
Already Wanga has to contend with the rebelling greater Karachuonyo, who have openly opposed her regime and control over 40 percent of Homa Bay County’s vote.
Already, greater Rachuonyo has produced a candidate in immediate former Deputy Governor Joseph Oyugi Magwanga.
For Sifuna, Orengo, Babu, and Caroli, it will be a pregnant statement and a nip in the bud of Wanga’s political territory.
Babu wrote: “On August 16th, Homa Bay will not simply host a rally… It will welcome home one of its own. WE ARE COMING!!”
Orengo on Friday wrote: “Walisema Homabay ni no-go zone! Tell me where we are right now? Homabay. Leo ilikuwa mic check tu, Sunday ndio tuned in na watu wa Asego Kanyada. Itakuwa faya sana!”
Sifuna wrote: “Omabei… kale ka dance ketu time imefika… niliwaambia nitawaonyesha ma chuom… hii inaitwa Osiri Beach, Nyandiwa… tuonane asubuhi!”
