By Anderson Ojwang
President William Ruto finds himself in a catch-22 situation after his Deputy, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, and Internal Security Permanent Secretary, Dr. Raymond Omollo, recently declared support for ODM candidate for Kasipul Constituency, Boyd Were.
The by-election is a delicate balancing act for Ruto — to either go full throttle and support the ODM candidate and disenfranchise the vote bloc, or sit back, watch, and allow nature to take its course.
At an empowerment funds drive at Sikri in Kasipul, Kindiki and Omollo rallied the electorate to support Boyd as a Broad-Based candidate.
Omollo wrote on his X handle: “Together with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, we joined the people and regional leadership of Homa Bay County, led by Governor Gladys Wanga, for a resource mobilization and women empowerment drive in Kasipul Constituency.
The meeting also underscored the spirit of the Broad-Based government, as leaders expressed unity of purpose while rallying behind the ODM candidate, Boyd Were, within a framework of inclusivity and national cohesion.”
The move by the Deputy President and Omollo to support the ODM candidate threw the UDA leadership and fraternity under the bus and left them orphaned in the by-election.
The grumpy UDA activist Odoyo Owidi and his team, who had been leading an onslaught on Wanga and Boyd, were left stranded by the unfolding political scenario. They are yet to visit Kasipul to campaign.
Odoyo and the late MP, the slain Charles Ongondo Were, the father of Boyd, the ODM candidate, never saw eye to eye, and the decision by the top government leadership to support Boyd has left them punctured and headless.
Odoyo and Ongondo were both ODM aspirants for Kasipul in the 2022 general elections, but the party issued a direct ticket to Ongondo, which didn’t amuse Odoyo.
President Ruto has made Homa Bay County his second home and brought various development projects to the county. Homa Bay was the bedroom of the ODM leader, the late Raila Odinga.
With Raila’s demise, Ruto hopes to inherit the vote bloc of Homa Bay, but now he has to contend with the emerging political scenario on the ground.
The greater Rachuonyo, which accounts for 40 percent of the votes, is rebelling against Governor Wanga and has rallied behind Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga.
Magwanga was forced into a political marriage with Wanga in the 2022 gubernatorial election by Raila, and the two leaders have since fallen out and are now irreconcilable.
Magwanga declined Wanga’s overtures to support Boyd ahead of the ODM primaries and instead advocated for a free and fair nomination.
In the controversial nomination, he supported Kepha Newton Ogada against Wanga’s Boyd, in which the latter won and the former had his vehicles and hospital destroyed by ODM goons.
Ogada recently shared a cryptic photo of independent candidate Philip Aroko which read, “This time it will not be a walk in the park.”
Magwanga enjoys huge support in Homa Bay County, and the decision by the Broad-Based government to ignore his political constituency in the hope that Wanga, the ODM national chairperson, will deliver the county votes may backfire in the 2027 general elections.
Interestingly, Hesborn Omollo, elder brother to the PS, who had engaged in political activities in Homa Bay, was prevailed upon.
Omollo, in a statement on his Facebook page, said his community service engagement should not be misconstrued as an attempt to rally support for a gubernatorial contest.
Omollo’s community engagement had brought disquiet in the ODM wing, with Governor Gladys Wanga and her supporters taking issue with his activities.
Within the last two years, Omollo had crisscrossed the county engaging in fund drives and other activities that created panic among other political players in the county.
“Our journey of engagement has always been rooted in improving the lives of our people. Public service and representation have been at the core of my commitment, dating back to 2007 when I stepped forward to contest for the parliamentary seat of Karachuonyo. Community engagement is not just a duty—it is part of my identity.
Recently, my active involvement in community activities has led to speculation that I intend to vie for the position of Governor. Unfortunately, this has sparked unnecessary tension and unfounded rumors that do not serve our collective progress as a people.
I wish to categorically state that I am not pursuing the gubernatorial seat for Homa Bay County, nor have I stated as such before. This is a time for service delivery, not political competition,” he wrote.
Omollo and Were had differences, with each accusing the other, and often engaged in altercations.
Cabinet Secretary for Treasury and Economic Planning did not attend the empowerment program in Sikri and is yet to campaign for the ODM candidate in Kasipul.
While his counterpart, Opiyo Wandayi, has been campaigning in Ugunja for Moses Okoth to capture the seat, Mbadi has not been seen in Kasipul.
For Ugunja, it may be an easy ride for the Broad-Based candidate, but Kasipul is proving to be a hard nut to crack, as it is viewed as a testing ground for the Wanga–Magwanga 2027 duel.
Ahead of the nomination, Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Odinga and his sister Wenwa Odinga were said to have supported Ogada against Wanga’s Boyd.
The race is turning out to be a two-horse race between Boyd and Aroko, while other candidates are also showing remarkable command of voters. They include Rateng Kotiende, Robert Riaga, and Collins Okeyo.
Kasipul is a testing ground for President Ruto in his pursuit of Homa Bay votes in the 2027 elections.
