By Anderson Ojwang
Homa Bay County was established as the political bedroom of the immediate former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, the late Raila Odinga.
Homa Bay became the fulcrum of Raila’s politics, and the former Prime Minister would hold his second-last rallies to Presidential elections and other important national events in Homa Bay town.
After the 2022 presidential election, Homa Bay became the first destination for President William Ruto after his victory on October 22nd, 2022.
President William Ruto has made at least 8 to 12 trips to Homa Bay County since taking office in September 2022. His visits include major development tours, church services, the opening of the Devolution Conference, and launching projects like affordable housing and road infrastructure in partnership with local leadership.
Ruto’s move was to inherit the bedroom, and in his strategy, he has a team of confidants: Dr Raymond Omollo, Permanent Secretary for Internal Security; Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi; Homa Bay Governor and ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga; and Homa Bay MP Opondo Kaluma.
Babu said next weekend Linda Mwananchi will colonise Homa Bay and make it a Linda Mwananchi stronghold.
“Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, on 16th we are going to Homa Bay. We are coming in peace. Those mobilising goons, we know your plot. We are coming to Homa Bay to colonise it. We are not cowards,” he said.
Now the bedroom is breached, and the battle for the soul of Raila’s political turf is in the offing.
Rattled
The bedroom has been rattled by next weekend’s Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay town. The rally is a test pad for Wanga, who had been instrumental in the sacking of the immediate former ODM Secretary Edwin Sifuna.
Wanga and her ODM colleagues presided over the split in the party with the formation of two factions: Linda Ground versus Linda Mwananchi.
Linda Mwananchi brigades recently applied for registration from the Registrar of Political Parties.
Last Tuesday, six youths were arrested over an alleged attack on the Linda Mwananchi team that had gone to notify the police of the August 16th rally.
Later in the evening, demonstrations rocked the town after a section of youth lit bonfires to protest over the arrests.
Homa Bay Police Commander Lawrence Koilem confirmed the arrests and said security had been deployed to restore order and peace.
The incident came amid growing tension over the planned Linda Mwananchi public rally in Homa Bay, with the organising team accusing security agencies of failing to protect opposition supporters from repeated attacks.
“This is not an isolated case. There are several other cases, but for us we are saying we really want peace to prevail during our political journey, and the government is propagating that we are doing things that we have not done,” said Linda Mwananchi Coordinator Samuel Nyauke.
The visits and rumbles
Siaya Governor James Orengo has in the last two months visited Homa Bay County more than six times. Orengo and Wanga have been engaged in bitter exchanges, and now Orengo is taking the battle to Wanga’s home turf.
Kaluma wondered why Orengo was frequently visiting Homa Bay to undermine the elected leaders.
“Orengo keeps on visiting Homa Bay while he has failed to perform in Siaya. Our Homa Bay County is the heartbeat of ODM. Let nobody say there is Linda Mwananchi. As a region, we are firmly behind Ruto. If you come to Homa Bay, do not come to abuse President William Ruto. The word ‘one term’ is provocation to violence for people in Homa Bay. Don’t provoke our people. If you want to give Homa Bay joy, say ‘two term.’ That is where Baba left us,” he said.
Homa Bay County Assembly Speaker Richard Ogindo declared that they must protect their territories and party from invasion.
“Some are coming to Homa Bay. We are Sifuna. Try wearing those useless T-shirts in Homa Bay. We want those youths who were arrested released,” Ogindo said.
But Wanga played down the emerging tension and has welcomed the planned Linda Mwananchi rally to the county, maintaining that ODM remains firmly committed to supporting the broad-based government.
Speaking during a public gathering in Kabondo Kasipul, Wanga said all political leaders and movements have the constitutional right to tour any part of the country and engage with citizens.
“Anybody is free to tour any part of this country. Anybody is free to seek whatever they want in any part of the country,” Wanga said.
But PS Omollo said Linda Mwananchi should be allowed into the area and that the residents should avoid any form of confrontation.
“Allow them to come and hold their rally, because they have no agenda. They want to provoke to get relevance from their sponsors,” he said.
Linda Mwananchi spokesperson Mr Caroli Omondi was over the weekend in the county mobilising residents to attend the rally.
“This evening, we had a successful and productive meeting with representatives of Linda Mwananchi leaders from Homa Bay County ahead of our Mega Rally scheduled for 16th August 2026. The momentum is building, the message is resonating, and the people are ready. Homa Bay is going to explode,” he wrote.
For the Broad-Based brigade, next weekend’s Linda Mwananchi rally is the biggest political test and could usher in a new political dispensation in the region.
For Wanga, Mbadi, and Omollo, it is a test of whether they can deliver for President Ruto in the absence of Raila.
The dice is cast. It is just a matter of which faction will carry the day.
