By Anderson Ojwang

The politics of national identity cards is fast turning into another frontier of contest in Nyanza, with various divides blaming one another for the low uptake.

With only 14 months to the next general election, the national identity card is becoming a critical weapon in the electoral contest.

It is emerging as a battleground for the new vote bloc, and the old political rivalry is currently playing out.

A simmering contest between President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the predominant party in the region, is in the offing over the ID drive.

According to recent data from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which targets 5,083,252 new voters in the ongoing drive, out of the 5,083,252, IEBC targets 786,921 new voters from Nyanza, accounting for 15.5 percent of the new voters targeted.

IEBC targets from Homa Bay 147,809 new voters, Migori 146,869, Kisumu 133,740 and Siaya 123,142.

If the IEBC meets its target, the number of registered voters will shoot to a total of 28 million, up from 22.1 million who cast their votes during the 2022 Elections.

In 2023, Kenya had approximately 13.2 million students enrolled in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools. Specifically, there were 2.9 million in pre-primary, 10.2 million in primary and 4.1 million in secondary schools.

In 2025, a total of 993,226 sat KCSE, while in 2024 the number was 962,512 candidates, and in 2023 the number was 899,453, giving a total of 2,855,191 forming the bulk of the new voters targeted by IEBC.

In 2023, student enrolment in Migori County was 147,033, while in Homa Bay County it stood at 143,550, Siaya County stood at 130,784 and Kisumu County stood at 123,499, totaling 544,866.

The last batch of the 2023 population will have the last class sit examinations and will be eligible for national identity cards and voter cards to participate in the 2027 general elections.

This could have informed the decision by the government through a circular from the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Education, State Department for Basic Education, Amb. Prof Julius K. Bitok, who wrote and captioned “Facilitation of school-based ID registration exercise, second term, 2025.”

The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, through the National Registration Bureau (NRB), intends to undertake a mobile national ID registration drive targeting eligible students in secondary schools during the current (second) school term (May-August 2025).

The battle mine

Political rivalry, inclination, and superiority contest have clouded and undermined the national identification issuance and uptake in the four counties in Nyanza.

President Ruto’s right-hand man in Nyanza, Dr Raymond Omollo, the Permanent Secretary for Internal Security and the patron of the ID drive initiatives in the region, has been supporting various initiatives in the region.

Dr Omollo has been supporting the Lavender Ojalla-led initiative “Jiandikishe,” which is based in Homa Bay County, and another initiative, “Kenya Youth Transition Initiative, Begin Early,” which covers Kisumu, Siaya and Migori.

But on Monday, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga led elected leaders from the county, including Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay), Dr. Joyce Bensuda (Women Representative), Dr. Lillian Gogo (Rangwe), and Dr. Eve Obara (Kasipul Kabondo), to a meeting with Permanent Secretary for Immigration Dr Belio Kipsang.

Wanga wrote on her social media handle: “We held a consultative meeting with Dr. Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary for Immigration, to deliberate on ID registration challenges within the county.”

Wanga said they agreed with the PS to re-energize the registration process to meet the target.

“We have jointly agreed with the Ministry to re-energize the registration process and fast-track both new and pending applications through a targeted Rapid Response Initiative. This intervention is aimed at ensuring that all eligible residents are registered and can fully access essential government services,” she wrote.

Omollo and Wanga have been feuding over national government projects in Homa Bay County and have become bitter rivals.

Omollo currently plays host to MCAs who have fallen out with Wanga, and this has soured the relationship.

According to the latest data from the acting regional registration officer, George Opiyo, as of 14th April 2026, there were 80,027 uncollected national identity cards.

Kisumu led with 32,296, Migori stood at 5,450, while Homa Bay was at 12,205. Siaya had 11,426, while Kisii was at 14,610 and Nyamira at 4,047.

Ojalla dismissed Wanga’s claims of low identity card registration, saying her initiative has managed to register a significant number.

“My exercise began in November last year, and we have been able to traverse several sub-counties in Homa Bay County, and the turnout has been very impressive. I have taken advantage of the grassroots networks I built during my campaigns, and this has made my work easy,” she said.

Kisumu trouble zone

In Kisumu County, identity registration and distribution have been undermined by political contest and inclination.

Various aspirants allied to ODM have expressed concern that the team allied to the PS has been undermining their efforts in organizing the drive.

“We have been unable to organize the drives because we are viewed as opponents, while the UDA wing wants to use the drive for popularity and contest,” the aspirants said.

One of the aspirants in the county, who did not want to be named, said he had approached the regional office to undertake the drive in one of the constituencies in the county.

He said they reached an amicable agreement, and when they went back, they were asked for a mobilization fund, which they agreed to pay.

“But when the UDA team learned of the drive, the exercise was scuttled, and for five months, no identity card issuance has taken place in that area,” he said.

By Anderson Ojwang

The wounded and wobbling faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Linda Ground, has morphed into Linda Chama and has been sent into a panic and crying mode.

While the other faction, Linda Mwananchi, is becoming a movement by day and continues to hold its rallies, at Linda Ground it is gnashing of teeth and premium tears.

It is no longer Linda Ground to Linda Chama; the chickens are finally coming home to roost.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been vindicated, and his warning to the ODM leadership that President William Ruto was fattening them for the butcher’s knife has come to pass.

Gachagua, who has become a subject of campaign for his alleged tribal antics and a tool to whip emotions against those associating with him, is today watching how the once largest party in the country is fast collapsing.

Gachagua had warned the ODM leadership of Dr Oburu Oginga, National Chairperson Gladys Wanga and Director of Elections Junet Mohammed of Ruto’s scheme to destroy the party.

“I have often told ODM leadership that they should not allow William Ruto to destroy ODM. You shouted me down and asked that I keep off. I have seen Gladys Wanga is now crying. Junet Mohammed is also crying. All of Raila’s leaders are crying. I warned you that Kasongo will destroy ODM, but you didn’t listen to me,” he said.

Gachagua claimed President Ruto was plotting with Cabinet Secretaries Hassan Joho and Wycliff Oparanya to weaken ODM in Coast and Western Kenya through new political parties affiliated to the two leaders.

“William Ruto has planned to have a new party in Mombasa, and he will give it to Joho to destroy ODM at the Coast. Oparanya will soon resign from the government, and there is already a political party for him to use in Western Kenya in the 2027 general elections,” he said.

Oparanya has stated that he is ready to quit ODM for the sake of Luhya unity, and in a recent radio interview he said he will soon declare his political position and next move.

“I want to say in front of you. If the problem is having different parties, I am ready to leave ODM even now. Let us come together because I know that we are a sleeping giant in this country,” Oparanya stated.

Gachagua said Ruto was also interested in ensuring that his allies were elected as MPs in Nyanza on a UDA ticket.

“Kasongo wants ODM to be a Luo party, and also among the Luo he has planned to have his people elected. He is using Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo to plant candidates in the region to compete with Raila’s people. He wants Raila’s people to lose in Nyanza and have his people in the region,” he said.

Gachagua said ODM was likely to perform poorly in the 2027 general election and could only garner a maximum of 20 MPs.

“For ODM, if God allows, you will have 20 MPs. In Nairobi you have lost by design. I don’t want to get into ODM issues, but I want Raila’s legacy of ODM to remain as the biggest party. The only way to survive is to zone your strongholds before you get into any alliance with Ruto,” he said.

Gachagua claimed Ruto plotted to destroy ODM immediately after elections and that is why he supported Raila’s candidature for the AU chair.

“When he plotted to destroy ODM, I was with him as his deputy. The day he had a handshake with Raila, I asked why he brought him into the fold. He told me, ‘I want to bring him close and take him to the AU so that he can deal with ODM once and for all.’ He is now destroying ODM,” he said.

And now Wanga has come out strongly to protect ODM from infiltration, saying they were ready to walk out of any negotiations.

“Ka ngato omulo chama wa. Kata in ema omiyo wa mo moleny (If someone tries to destroy our party. Even if he is the one who gives us ghee). Waweyo ne mo no (We will leave that ghee),” she said.

Wanga said it was time to protect the party from intrusion and to prevent the party from losing its parliamentary strength in the next election.

“Nyaka warit chama (We must protect the party). Ok inyal bedo e mesa ka in gi MPs 20 onge ngame dbi winji (You cannot go to the negotiation when you only have 20 MPs because you will have no bargaining power),” she said.

Wanga said Raila was able to negotiate on the strength of the MPs and expressed concern that the party may lose that strength in 2027 if they do not win most of the seats.

Junet warned their partners in the broad-based government against infiltration in their stronghold and threatened to walk out.

“I want to tell our UDA partners that we want power. If we can’t get it here, we will look elsewhere,” he said.

Junet claimed that state machinery was being used to pressure ODM legislators – particularly from the Coast and Western regions – to defect to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

He said the move was aimed at weakening ODM’s national influence and reducing it to a regional outfit.

Wanga opened the taps of tears as they freely flowed over what she termed as betrayal and lack of respect for ODM.

Visibly emotional and drained, Wanga used a handkerchief in her hand to wipe the tears as the public watched in disbelief and sympathized at the same time.

Wanga declared that ODM was the only inheritance left behind by the founder, the late Raila Odinga, and will defend it at all cost.

“This our party is what our party leader, the late Raila, left us. It is all we have. We will defend and protect our party. Defending our party comes number one before anything else. So we will defend our party, our people, and we will defend our areas. We will make sure that our parliamentary strength is not reduced by even an inch. Ok wane mumbo wala ei ot (We are not scared of darkness). No. It is our party. Weche modong wabiro wacho mbele ka wasebedo kod heshima e party ka (We will only discuss other business when respect exists),” she said.

By Anderson Ojwang’

Last Thursday was a mixed grill for the broad-based government. For President William Ruto, it was a historic moment when he delivered a landmark address to the Nairobi City County Assembly.

But the absence of a top national official from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with the majority of MCAs at the Assembly standing at 35 elected members, exposed the widening rift in the broad-based alliance and the Linda Ground faction of the party.

The City Hall address was historic and was the first time a sitting Head of State has spoken before a county assembly since the advent of devolution.

The address marked a significant shift in how the national government engages with county leadership. The ODM leadership had been invited to the occasion, and the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga had confirmed attendance.

But Oburu, who was away in the United Kingdom on official duty, delegated the party’s National Chairperson Gladys Wanga to represent him at the function.

However, sources told Western Insight that Wanga instead asked Makadara MP and branch chairman George Aladwa to represent the party leader while she visited Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Captain William Ruto at his Nakuru home to condole with the family.

Attempts to get comment from Wanga were unsuccessful after she did not respond to our call.

Wanga wrote on her social handles: “I visited Captain William Ruto, Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority, at his residence in Rongai Constituency, Nakuru County, to convey my heartfelt condolences following the tragic loss of his beloved daughter, Mitchell Jelimo Kemboi. I also extended my sincere wishes for his full recovery following his recent accident. Captain Ruto has been a steadfast friend to Homa Bay County, having visited on several occasions as the Kenya Ports Authority oversees the construction of the Homa Bay Pier. May God grant his family strength and comfort during this difficult time.”

Outside City Hall was teeming with thousands of ODM supporters in party colors and their United Democratic Alliance (UDA) counterparts to welcome the president and the party leader to the function.

Sources within the ODM Linda Ground are questioning why Wanga did not delegate one of the deputy party leaders for the function but instead chose Aladwa, diluting the importance of the event.

Aladwa wrote on his social media handle: “Today, as the ODM Chairman Nairobi, I accompanied H.E. President William Samoei Ruto to the Nairobi County Assembly where he delivered a keynote address. We remain committed to the Broad-Based approach in supporting the President’s agenda to transform Kenya.”

The Chief of Staff in the ODM party leader’s office, Mr Michael Agwanda, declined to comment on the matter.

Wanga has been present at most of President Ruto’s functions, and last year for the second year running, the president was the guest of honor during her Genowa county football tournament.

Recently, Rangwe MP Dr Lilian Gogo attacked Agwanda for representing Dr Oburu at the burial of the elder brother of ODM Executive Director Oduor Ongwen.

Gogo, who was in the company of Wanga, demanded the immediate sacking of the Chief of Staff.

“That show cause letter. I want it to be given to a son of Homa Bay. I don’t know whether he has gone? We can give the show cause letter. How can one represent the party leader as Chief of Staff while the MPs are here? How do you go to a function where the party chairperson is in attendance and you come here saying you want to represent the party leader? If it is for the joke, we will remove you from that office. I, Dr Lilian Achieng Gogo, have said it. We will remove you,” she said.

Oburu’s management skills

The sudden change in Dr Oburu’s management structure and office structure has brought disquiet within the party ranks.

Dr Oburu’s itinerary has also changed, and he is no longer attending the several unplanned functions he found himself in.

He currently prefers, in his free time, to play golf and spend time with his family, leaving several party officials disappointed.

At the party leader’s office in Riverside, appointments for meetings have become the order of the day, unlike during the time of the late Raila Amolo Odinga, when it was a walk-in and walk-out by party officials.

Dr Oburu meets people, including party officials, by appointment and has weeded out hangouts in his office.

At Riverside, there are no political hangouts and brokers, and there is total organization at the facility.

The ODM nominations

Tension is building in ODM with the insistence by the party leader that nominations must be free and fair.

Already, some top officials had started drawing their own lineups for the various elective posts, and this is bringing tension in the party.

Zoning of ODM strongholds

Wanga opened the taps of tears over what she termed as betrayal and lack of respect for ODM.

Visibly emotional and drained, Wanga used a handkerchief in her hand to wipe the tears as the public watched in disbelief and sympathized at the same time.

Wanga declared that ODM was the only inheritance left behind by the founder, the late Raila Odinga, and will defend it at all cost.

“This our party is what our party leader, the late Raila, left us. It is all we have. We will defend and protect our party. Defending our party comes number one before anything else. So we will defend our party, our people, and we will defend our areas. We will make sure that our parliamentary strength is not reduced by even an inch. Ok wane mumbo wala ei ot (We are not scared of darkness). No, no. It is our party. Weche modong wabiro wacho mbele ka wasebedo kod heshima e party ka (We will only discuss other business when respect exists),” she said.

Wanga said any discussion will only be applicable when ODM gets its respect and its political strongholds are respected and safeguarded from infiltration.

“Other things we will talk about, but we must first have respect for our party. Those other things will follow later. Because without the party, voters and the people, there is nowhere we are going, my people,” she said.

Over the weekend, Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, who recently defected to President William Ruto’s party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), claimed several ODM MPs from the region were crossing over to UDA and were participating in the party elections.

“Today, we are having several ODM MPs conducting UDA elections in their constituencies. We are a team and a force. You can see the number of ODM MPs crossing over to UDA,” he said.

National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed claimed that state machinery was being used to pressure ODM legislators – particularly from the Coast and Western regions – to defect to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

President Ruto and Oburu remain close, but a section of ODM is pulling away and may opt for other options.