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Homa Bay MCA alleges Sh1 million bribe each to MCAs to pass the budget, promises to petition the Senate over development funds

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Reporter

Former chairman of the Homa Bay County Assembly budget committee, Mr Jeff Ongoro, has claimed that a section of Members of County Assembly (MCAs) allied to Governor Gladys Wanga were bribed with Sh1 million each to pass this year’s budget.

Ongoro has sensationally claimed in a viral video clip that his colleagues were allegedly bribed at an upmarket Kisumu hotel to fast-track the passage of the budget.

“I know the MCAs were given Sh1 million, especially the elected ones who are aligned to Mama Gladys Wanga. I know for sure. If I am lying, let them come out and deny my claim,” he said.

Ongoro said he did not receive the Sh1 million bribe but wants the development funds to be used for their intended purpose.

“I want development funds for my Kanyaluo Ward delivered. I demand that the projects for Kanyaluo Ward be accomplished. Most of the projects for my ward have stalled, and I don’t want to be part of the cartel,” he said.

Allegations of Sh1 million bribe to members of Homa Bay County Assembly (MCAs) allied to Governor Gladys Wanga to pass this year’s budget

But North Ward MCA Ouma Odongo denied the allegations of bribery, saying they only had a consultative meeting with the governor.

“It is true we met with the governor in Kisumu. But we were discussing the projects which were in the budget but had not been implemented,” he said.

Odongo, who is the Homa Bay ODM branch treasurer, said the meeting was aimed at ensuring the projects that had been earmarked for development were implemented.

“We told the governor that with the elections just one year away, we wanted the projects implemented. We were never bribed. You can see the projects are currently being implemented,” he said.

Odongo wondered why their colleagues on the opposing side were out to create unnecessary tension in the county with unfounded rumours.

Ongoro also said they will petition the Senate to investigate the county executive over multi-billions of shillings earmarked for development projects which have not been undertaken.

“We are going to petition the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to come and investigate the allegations of corruption at the county,” he said.

Ongoro claimed that in the last financial year and this financial year, the county government had not implemented the budget.

“The only financial year in which the executive implemented 70 per cent of the budget was in 2022-2023. For the last two financial years, there has been no implementation of the budget,” he said.

Wanga’s charade with Senate PAC

Wanga recently failed to appear before the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) for the second time to address questions regarding the Auditor General’s report on the financial statements for the fiscal year 2024/2025.

The committee was set to interrogate the county executive of Homa Bay on Wednesday, 18th March 2026, about the revenue collected and the county revenue fund statement for the same period.

CPAC Chairman Moses Kajwang’ urged Wanga to take a cue from her predecessor, Cyprian Awiti, who consistently attended Senate hearings even while unwell.

“I recall that the first governor of Homa Bay, Cyprian Awiti, never failed to appear before the Senate,” he noted.

According to Kajwang’, Awiti did this not because it was a favour to the people of Homa Bay but because it was part of his core responsibilities.

“I hope that Governor Wanga will also learn from her predecessor,” he said.

The chairman told the governors to uphold the principles of the Constitution and devolution, emphasising that these are crucial for transforming the lives of Kenyans.

According to Homa Bay Senator Kajwang’, accountability is a fundamental pillar of their campaign promises.

“In Homa Bay, accountability has always been part of our political and governance culture,” he noted.

Kajwang’ highlighted that there are critical issues that require clarity, as mentioned in the Auditor General’s report, ranging from the fact that pending bills in Homa Bay are on the rise, with the financial statements indicating that the county was facing Ksh1.5 billion in pending bills.

“That is a significant amount of money that is locked up within the county. If released, it could stimulate the local economy. Unfortunately, more than Ksh1 billion of that debt is older than 365 days,” Kajwang’ said.

Wage bill

He said there was a need to discuss the escalating wage bill, which currently stands at 54 per cent, saying this percentage of the county’s revenue goes to salaries and wages, and noted that a recent audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that the Homa Bay payroll was riddled with ghost workers, necessitating a clean-up.

“This was a substantial discussion we had with the governor in our last meeting, and we expected her to inform us about the measures taken to address the issues of ghost workers and the spiralling wage bill,” he stated.

The governor was expected to clarify the county’s priorities, as some of them were deemed misplaced.

Kajwang’ said the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital is currently under construction at a cost of roughly Ksh270 million, while the county’s new headquarters cost Ksh800 million.

He questioned whether the people of Homa Bay needed an extravagant headquarters or a quality hospital for children and women in dire need of health services.

Kisumu County Assembly Ad Hoc Report unearths a system logging 396 unreceipted transactions totalling over Sh6.39 million on a single day

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Reporter

The Kisumu County revenue system could have been a conduit for some officers at the county to siphon money from the institution.

The in-depth analysis of the Ad Hoc Committee report on the ICT department paints a worrying and glaring trend, which could have exposed the county government to the loss of millions of shillings in revenue collection.

Breakdown of Transaction Log Auditing & Monitoring

Massive Unreceipted Gaps:

The system logging 396 unreceipted transactions totalling over Kshs 6.39 million on a single day highlights a failure to implement automated, real-time transaction monitoring and exception alerts.

The ICT directorate failed to maintain the cryptographic and database reconciliation tools necessary to prevent such massive operational voids.

Based on the critical technical audit findings outlined in the report, the Director of ICT faces direct administrative and legal culpability for a severe breakdown in system security controls, technical governance, and digital infrastructure oversight.

As the technical custodian of the county’s digital assets, the Director is accountable for the following systemic failures:

Failure in Identity & Access Management (IAM)

Unrestricted Super Admin Backdoors:

Allowing two Super Administrator accounts to exist with the power to create, modify, or delete invoices and payment records without an immutable audit trail is a fundamental violation of standard information security protocols. The Director is directly responsible for failing to enforce strict access controls and the principle of least privilege.

Negligence in Environment Segregation & System Integrity

Compromised Production Environment:

Running a live production revenue system that is cluttered with test data and completely lacks basic input data validation indicates a gross failure in IT change management and standard software deployment procedures. Maintaining a system highly susceptible to malicious data manipulation points directly to a lack of technical quality assurance.

Failure to Safeguard Data Sovereignty and Backup Policies

The Missing Invoice Discrepancy:

The confusion surrounding the arbitrary archiving and removal of hundreds of thousands of digital invoices (valued in the hundreds of millions) demonstrates a severe lack of robust, independent data backup governance, data protection compliance, and secure archival workflows within the county’s infrastructure.

Inadequate Vendor Technical Oversight

Business Continuity Failures:

As the technical liaison managing the Integrated Revenue Management System (IRMS) framework with third-party vendors, the ICT directorate failed to ensure resilient business continuity setups or fail-safes, completely exposing the county to a catastrophic 74% revenue drop when the system was abruptly shut down over unpaid vendor fees.

Assembly Resolution

The Kisumu County Assembly, while discussing the report, adopted the amendments as presented.

Exposed: Kisumu – CECs, senior officers are rent defaulters, as CEC Finance fails to implement governor’s directive on check-off system for staff

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Anderson Ojwang

The Ad Hoc County Assembly of Kisumu report has exposed a shocking revelation that County Executive Committee members (CECs) have been unwilling to pay rent for county houses they have been occupying.

Similar senior staff in the county government of Kisumu have too been reluctant to pay rent and have been living for free on the premises.

The committee wrote: “The Report explicitly states that a significant number of County Government employees in higher ranks, including County Executive Committee Members, have been unwilling to pay rent; that despite repeated follow-ups, many either ignore communication or remain non-responsive to official correspondence; and that this creates substantial challenges in enforcing tenancy obligations.”

Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, in previous correspondences to CEC Finance George Omondi Okong’o, directed him to initiate a check-off system for government employees, but this was never implemented.

“Some tenants making payments through payroll check-off deductions continue to show arrears in their accounts, indicating gaps in remittance reconciliation between the payroll office and the rent accounts,” the committee wrote.

It has also emerged that some of the properties and houses that were rented out have changed hands and are now individually owned.

Some of those houses are now owned by senior government officers, politicians, businesspersons, politically correct individuals, and relatives of senior officers in both national and county government.

For instance, in the upmarket Milimani Estate, the county government had 78 homes, but currently the government only has 17, while 61 homes have changed hands, with title deeds now in individual names.

The report noted that rent collection had dropped from Sh20,447,477 in Financial Year 2023/24 to Sh6,183,882 in FY 2024/25.

The committee said rent collection had dropped by 69 per cent after the city engaged Charcon Properties Limited.

“The FY 2024/25 rent collection of Kshs. 6,183,882 represents the lowest recorded rent collection in the five-year period under review, and marks a decline of Kshs. 14,263,595 from the previous financial year — the steepest single-year collapse in any Own Source Revenue stream over the review period. This decline occurred in direct correspondence with Charcon Properties Limited’s engagement as managing agent,” the report read.

Sources told Western Insight that the agent furnished the committee with a list of tenants, some with title deeds, while other premises had no buildings or were owned by other institutions.

The committee, in its engagement with the Kisumu City Board, revealed that revenue performance has consistently underperformed against targets over three years despite significant projection increases and despite the delegation of revenue collection roles to the City Board; that revenue monitoring was mainly report-based rather than real-time; and that the city currently operates a billing-oriented system rather than a fully integrated revenue management system.

The committee found that Charcon Properties Limited was contracted to supervise rent collection on behalf of the City Board, and “that the County is in the process of procuring a new revenue system which did not appear materially different from the existing one as presented,” the committee wrote.

According to the Property Management Progress Report dated 3rd May 2026 and the handover documentation referenced, the following estates, residential blocks, and institutional houses were placed under Charcon Properties Limited’s management:

Residential Blocks — Estates and Housing Units:

  • Block 11 (Units 37, 38, 43, 46, 47, 47B, 47C, 47D, 48, 49 and 52)
  • Block 4 (Units 149A, 149B, 158A, 158B, 154A and 154B)
  • Block 8 (Units 79, 79A, 148A, 148B, 208, 208A, 258A, 258B, 258C, 258D, 258E, 258F, 259A, 259B, 259C and 259D)
  • Block 10 (Units A, B, C and D)
  • Block 12 (Units 91A, 91B and 91C)

Slaughter Houses:

  • Slaughter House A, Slaughter House B and Slaughter House C; and Kibuye Estate (approximately 45 units)

Institutional and Special Facilities:

  • Ober Kamoth Health Centre
  • Got Nyabondo Health Centre
  • Mama Ngina Children’s Home
  • Old Fire Station

On New Leases and Renewals:

The report records that lease renewals have been materially impeded by the non-availability of updated Finance Act rental rates. The report states: “Renewal of Tenancy Agreements and leases is further dependent on the new County Finance Act, which prescribes the updated rent rates to be applied. This document has not been availed to us, making it impossible to commence the latest round of lease renewals.”

On Maintenance:

The report identifies extensive maintenance deficiencies including: plumbing, electrical and structural repairs required urgently at Kibuye Estate; leaking roofs at Block 12-A and Block 12-B (requiring complete overhaul); non-operational plumbing at House 11/49; and the Ober Kamoth Health Centre units being described as uninhabitable due to absence of water and leaking conditions, rendering rent enforcement impossible until conditions are addressed.

On Occupancy:

Occupancy levels across estates remain high, with most units occupied despite ongoing disputes and maintenance challenges. Several units are non-revenue generating due to occupation by county departments, security personnel, and institutional users. Some units remain unoccupied due to dilapidated conditions, pending repairs, or unresolved ownership claims. A comprehensive physical verification exercise is stated to be ongoing.

On Non-Revenue Generating Units:

The report identified multiple units that were non-revenue generating, including: Houses 4/149, 4/149A and 4/149B — occupied by KIWASCO, whose headquarters were constructed on these sites; Houses 8/148 and 8/148A — occupied by the Governor’s security detail; Houses 8/208A and 8/208B — used by the County First Lady as offices; and Houses 8/258A through 8/259D — found to belong to NSSF and since demolished for modern housing construction.

These units generate no rental income to the county.

45 days of conclave in Wamunyoro: Will it be white or black smoke for Gachagua?

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Anderson Ojwang

The 45 days of conclave in Wamunyoro village by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is likely to radically set the tempo and change the 2027 presidential contest.

Hot on the heels after three High Court Judges dealt a blow to Gachagua’s move to overturn his impeachment by Parliament, a razor-sharp Gachagua emerged not only breathing fire but committed to opposition unity and a single presidential candidate to face off with President William Ruto.

Gachagua came out razor-sharp during today’s press conference to dictate and determine the 2027 presidential contest.

“My supporters have instructed me to urgently embark on the implementation of a strategic stand from my Wamunyoro residence for a period of 45 days. From Monday, I will camp in Wamunyoro village to start exhaustive and extensive consultation with my supporters and opinion leaders,” he said.

The agenda of the conclave is aimed at coming up with a formula for identifying a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto in the 2027 elections.

In a bold declaration, Gachagua stated that in the interest of Kenya and the opposition, he had embarked on 45 days of strategic meetings to identify a single presidential candidate to face off with Ruto.

He said after this weekend, when he will be in Western Kenya for a series of engagements with his deputies Cleophas Malala and Eugene Wamalwa, he will not engage in any political mobilisation.

Mt Kenya block

The 45 days of the conclave were aimed at locking President Ruto out of the vote-rich basket of Mt Kenya and opening it up to the would-be opposition presidential candidate.

“When I was hounded out of office in 2024, I retreated to my village of Wamunyoro, engaging with Kenyans. And after exhaustive engagement talking to over 15,000 people, I was instructed to form a political party to solidify Mt Kenya’s political base and look for friends across the country. This I have successfully done, and the mountain is united to a man, and we now have arguably the most popular party, DCP. We have consolidated our support in totality,” he said.

Presidential candidate

Gachagua said he will be a presidential candidate and that the Constitution makes him eligible to vie.

But he is ready to support the candidate the opposition will settle on as his main political agenda.

The Advisory Caucus

Gachagua said following the High Court ruling, a 60-member advisory caucus on political and economic issues held a virtual meeting last night and mandated the next course of action.

“The work of political mobilisation to remove President Ruto from office was complete, and there was no need for any further political mobilisation,” he said.

Gachagua said he was asked to engage with utmost priority the identification of a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto.

“They have asked me to move to Wamunyoro to meet stakeholders, opinion leaders, and other people who matter in our political formation to seek their mandate and authority to initiate negotiations with my co-principals with a view to producing a single presidential candidate,” he said.

He said they instructed him that having a single presidential candidate against President Ruto was non-negotiable and the only way to liberate the country.

“They have asked me to stick to that commitment, and I therefore want to commit that I, Gachagua, on the instructions of my nearly 10 million supporters, will lead from the front to identify a single presidential candidate to face Ruto. From our corners, we have two plans, A and B, that we shall discuss with our stakeholders for 45 days. This is critical,” he said.

Plans

Gachagua already has two plans. Plan A is to mobilise support across the country in the event that his colleagues and the formula they shall agree on favour him as the presidential candidate.

“Plan B: in the event that Plan A does not favour me as the single presidential candidate, to get a mandate from my supporters to jointly with other co-principals identify a single presidential candidate. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the opposition towards the course of a single presidential candidate,” he said.

Gachagua said he has the capacity, muscle, network and strategy to run his presidential campaigns should he be the candidate.

“If any of my colleagues is agreed upon, I give a firm commitment to Kenyans. I will lead the campaign and make Ruto a one-term president,” he said.

Gachagua will lead the presidential campaigns and will do whatever it takes to take President Ruto home.

I will make someone president

Gachagua said through his 4 million supporters he was able to make Ruto president; he will mobilise his 10 million support block to make another person president.

“If Gachagua mobilised 4 million votes and made Ruto president, I will mobilise my 10 million supporters to take him out. I made Ruto president with my supporters. I and my supporters will make someone else the president. I will support another Kenyan,” he said.

Gachagua said there will be no division in the opposition ahead of next year’s elections.

“I will ensure that everybody moves along, in case it is not me, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, to ensure the opposition vote basket for the agreed candidate is full,” he said.

Nduva Claims Maiden Sunshine Development Tour Title at Royal

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Western Insight Newsroom
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Here is the text with grammatical errors edited only. The words bounded by quotation marks have been bolded as requested.

Nduva Claims Maiden Sunshine Development Tour Title at Royal

BY PHILLIP ORWA

Nyali Golf & Country Club Pro Daniel Nduva produced a remarkable back-nine comeback to win the NCBA Royal Classic, the second leg of the 2026 Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, played at Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

Nduva, who began the final round tied for second place, carded a level-par 72 to finish the tournament on 3-under par 213, securing his maiden Sunshine Development Tour title.

With the win, the coast-based pro claimed Sh400,000 from the tournament’s Sh2 million prize purse.

The Nyali pro earlier endured a difficult opening nine, with his front nine featuring bogeys on the 1st and 8th holes as well as a costly double-bogey on the 7th, leaving him with work to do heading into the closing stretch.

However, Nduva mounted a spirited recovery on the back nine, sinking crucial birdies on the 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes to claw his way back into contention and eventually emerge victorious.

Speaking after his win, Nduva credited his driving and resilience for helping him secure the title.

“It feels really good to get this win. The front nine was challenging, and I had a few unlucky breaks, but I stayed patient and kept believing in my game. On the back nine, I hit every fairway and every green, and that gave me the confidence to attack the pins and create birdie opportunities. My driving was probably the strongest part of my game today. When you’re hitting the driver well, it gives you confidence throughout the rest of your game. I managed to make five birdies on the back nine, and that ultimately made the difference. Last year I struggled with injury, so to come back and win again means a lot to me. This victory is a reminder that golf is about staying patient, fighting through the difficult moments, and believing in yourself even when things are not going your way.”

In addition to the cash, he also earned valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.

The battle for the title remained tight throughout the final round, with six players eventually sharing second place on 1-under par 215.

The group comprised Kenya’s John Lejirma, Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, David Wakhu, Greg Snow, amateur Adel Balala, and Nigeria’s Sunday Olapade, who had started the day as the overnight leader.

For their performances, the six players each earned Sh114,833 from the prize purse.

Amateur golfer Adel Balala said:

“It’s encouraging to be in contention against such a strong professional field. I learned a lot over the three days, especially about managing pressure when you’re near the top of the leaderboard. I’ll take the lessons from this week and continue working hard on my game.”

The NCBA Royal Classic attracted a strong field of 96 local and international professionals and amateurs from across Africa and beyond, all competing for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.

The tournament also marked the second event of the 2026/27 Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing season, following the opening leg at Thika Sports Club, won by Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera.

Attention now shifts to the next leg of the tour at Vetlab Sports Club this Sunday, 14th to 16th June, as players continue their pursuit of Sunshine Tour progression opportunities and valuable Order of Merit points in what promises to be another highly competitive season.

Kisumu, Siaya, Murang’a and Baringo top performers in implementation of E-GP while other counties falter with least contracts awarded

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Western Insight Newsroom
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Hon. John Mbadi Cabinet Secretary (CS) for The National Treasury and Economic Planning
Hon. John Mbadi Cabinet Secretary (CS) for The National Treasury and Economic Planning

By Anderson Ojwang

The slow pace of implementation of the E-GP System (Electronic Government Procurement System) – an online platform designed to automate and streamline public procurement processes – has witnessed slow business activities in most of the 47 counties.

Some counties have performed dismally in the implementation of the new facility and have been able to conduct only a single contract with the least value below Sh5 million.

But Kisumu, Siaya, Murang’a and Baringo have successfully implemented the digital platform and have been able to conduct business worth millions of shillings.

According to the report on county performance in May 2026, Kisumu County awarded 467 contracts valued at Sh1,394,962,170, while Siaya County came second with 163 contracts awarded at a value of Sh851,023,110.

Murang’a County awarded 71 contracts valued at Sh507,653,336, while Baringo gave out 130 contracts valued at Sh331,763,706.

Least contract awards

During the period, Kajiado gave out only one contract valued at Sh2,598,032, and Machakos also awarded a single contract valued at Sh3,080,500.

West Pokot awarded 12 contracts valued at Sh16,357,613. Tharaka Nithi gave out a single contract whose value was Sh18,761,027, and Kakamega County awarded eight contracts valued at Sh18,791,200.

Below Sh30 million mark contracts

Elgeyo Marakwet awarded 11 contracts valued at Sh20,494,962. Lamu County awarded five contracts valued at Sh23,431,102, and Trans Nzoia awarded one contract valued at Sh24,377,940.

Others included Homa Bay, which awarded 12 contracts valued at Sh29,775,698.

Contract worth Sh50 million mark

Migori County awarded three contracts valued at Sh33,421,466. Samburu County awarded four contracts valued at Sh42,819,956. Bomet County awarded 27 contracts with a value of Sh43,814,400, and Nandi awarded nine contracts valued at Sh44,990,649.

Others: Busia County awarded two contracts with a value of Sh51,315,257.

Contracts worth Sh100 million mark and above

Vihiga County awarded 11 contracts with a value of Sh109,772,404. Uasin Gishu County awarded 11 contracts valued at Sh136,017,301.

In recent interviews, CS Treasury John Mbadi said the digital platform enables government agencies to conduct procurement activities electronically, improving transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the procurement process.

“The E-GP system will digitise and streamline all public procurement processes, automating each stage from planning to payment. This will enhance greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability in public procurement. Bid smarter, not harder,” he said.

Mbadi said there will be no exemptions for the electronic Government Procurement (eGP) system from the next financial year.

He said procurement remains one of the biggest areas where public funds are lost, particularly through inflated costs during the sourcing of goods and services.

He went on: “Where we waste money is actually on the procurement side, where instead of procuring a hall for Ksh15,000, you procure for Ksh50,000, and the surplus is shared in between.”

He further explained that cutting recurrent expenditure also presents challenges, warning that aggressive austerity measures could negatively affect businesses and economic activity. Instead, the Treasury has opted to focus on rationalising development expenditure by reviewing projects that are not commercially viable.

He said the government would crack down on procurement loopholes, which have continued to drain public resources, effectively placing a strain on the Treasury.

“If we can seal the loopholes… I know we gave some exemptions this year, and I am saying this today: next financial year, there will be no exemptions for eGP,” Mbadi stated.

GARBAGE AND SEWER SYSTEM NOW A CRITICAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MIGORI COUNTY

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Western Insight Newsroom
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Garbage pile in trash dump or landfill. Pollution concept.

By Billy Mijungu

The dormant MIWASCO — Migori County Water and Sanitation Company — urgently requires an upgrade to incorporate a modern and efficient sewer system. Currently, effluent flows openly through densely populated areas, including residential zones, posing a growing public health risk.

If this situation persists, disease outbreaks will become increasingly common, especially in shared public spaces such as markets. This makes it absolutely necessary to prioritize sewer and waste infrastructure as urbanization rapidly takes root across Migori County.

The county is expanding fast, with at least 12 emerging urban centers: three in Nyatike, two in Kuria, three within the Sugar Belt, and several others in the rapidly urbanizing Suna region. This growth demands immediate planning and investment in sanitation systems.

Sewer development must go hand in hand with the expansion of clean and reliable water supply systems across these towns. The increasing reliance on boreholes, while addressing water shortages, may soon turn into a public health concern as contamination risks rise due to poor waste management and uncontrolled effluent discharge.
Migori County receives high annual rainfall and frequently experiences flooding. When combined with inadequate drainage and sewer systems, this creates a dangerous environment for the spread of waterborne diseases. Without proactive planning, the health sector will face mounting pressure in managing preventable outbreaks.
Leadership is now required — both at the County Government and National Government levels — to bring order, structure, and long-term solutions to this critical sector.

Beyond sewage, waste management is already a growing concern. Complaints about indiscriminate dumping are increasing, raising serious environmental and health alarms. The county must urgently establish systems for waste collection, recycling, and sustainable disposal. Opportunities exist to convert garbage into electricity and produce fertilizer through composting — solutions that can create both environmental and economic value.

This transformation is achievable with focused leadership and renewed commitment to public service. Unfortunately, environmental priorities have recently declined, and standards continue to deteriorate.

Migori must act now — not later.

Ranguma tilts the equilibrium, opens old wounds in Kisumu county politics

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By Anderson Ojwang

The return of Kisumu’s founding governor, Jack Ranguma, in the county gubernatorial contest has destabilised the equilibrium and opened old wounds.

Ranguma’s return has stirred the political waters and displaced the already emerging political formations and alignments.

On Saturday, at a burial in Nyando, political temperatures rose and exploded, with Kisumu Central MP Dr Joshua Oron and his allies demanding that Ranguma declare his support for their candidate.

But the non-controversial governor, along with Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, also an aspirant for the governor’s seat, left the burial in protest.

That marked the opening of the battle front, with Ranguma taking the battle to the doorsteps of Dr Oron, former gubernatorial aspirant Dr Hezron McOmbewa, former parliamentary candidate Patrick Ouya, and Ambassador Fred Outa over what he termed as betrayal of the people of Kano and Kisumu County at large.

100,000 strong votes for take-off

Governor Ranguma starts the race to recapture the seat with 100,000 strong votes in his pocket. In the 2017 general elections, Ranguma, then an independent candidate cheated out of the ODM ticket through the infamous Thurdibuoro polling centre, garnered 148,851 votes against then Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o’s 263,117 votes.

In 2022, Ranguma once again braved the strong ODM and the late Raila Odinga wave but lost to Nyong’o again, garnering 100,600 votes against the incumbent’s 319,967 votes.

Betrayal in the city

Ranguma over the weekend accused Dr Oron, Dr McOmbewa, Ouya, and Amb. Fred Outa of betraying the people of Kano by conniving and taking away the governor’s seat to Seme.

“It is Oron and his people who removed the leadership from the hands of Kano, and they cannot come here to pretend that they want to bring back the leadership. Why did they betray the people’s cause, and why did they leave the government they formed?” he asked.

Ranguma said Dr McOmbewa, despite knowing he could not win the gubernatorial race, opted to compete against him in the ODM primaries to spoil for him.

“I told him, ‘Dr McOmbewa, do not compete with me; go for the Muhoroni parliamentary seat.’ He refused, saying that was a small seat. Why is he now interested in the governor’s seat? Do not elect him. He was a spoiler and should never be trusted,” he said.

But Oron dismissed Ranguma, saying that in the 2013 ODM primaries, he mobilised to ensure that Ranguma’s victory was not stolen.

During that time, ODM had settled on Raila’s younger sister, Ruth Odinga, who ended up becoming Ranguma’s deputy in a power arrangement brokered by the ODM supremo.

“Some people ran away from the funeral because we had tough questions to ask them. I have supported my people. When Ranguma vied for governor in 2013, I was a wanted person, and I had to seek refuge in Homa Bay, for those who do not know. Why is he not supporting me now? In 2017, I was Ranguma’s chief agent. So I have supported Ranguma,” he said.

Kano’s preferred candidate

Ouya and UDA political activist Joshua Nyamori said the Kano clan had resolved to support Dr Oron as the sole gubernatorial candidate from the area.

“From all our votes, we must gather them and vote for Dr Joshua Oron, and that is the declaration,” he said.

Ouya told Ranguma that it was time he supported Dr Oron for the unity of Kano to reclaim the seat.

But Ranguma said there was no preferred candidate from Kano and that the people will decide at the ballot.

“You have come with a vuvuzela to be praised that Kano has endorsed you as the sole candidate. Which Kano is that? Did you hear where the people of Kano endorsed a candidate? Show me. We, the people of Kano, can sit and decide our future,” he said.

The expired drugs

Ranguma said there was a group of which he was the patron, including some of his betrayers, before the fallout.

“When I became the governor, I gave them a tender for drug supply after the victory. I was satisfied with my salary, and I decided to give them a tender to supply drugs. They supplied expired drugs, which were not fit for human use. That was the fallout and why they began to fight me,” he said.

Broad-based candidate

Kisumu County UDA chairman Mbuta Ayugi, speaking at the burial, said Dr Oron was the broad-based candidate.

“The candidate for the broad-based governor is Dr Joshua Oron. Let us unite behind Oron to bring development to Kisumu,” he said.

This declaration is likely to puncture Dr Oron given the changing political climate in Kisumu, with the majority of residents shifting allegiance to Siaya Governor James Orengo’s Linda Mwananchi faction of ODM.

Rating

Dr Oron was rating high in the gubernatorial contest, but the return of Ranguma is likely to alter the political equation.

Already, Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda, Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr Mathews Owili, Aduma Owuor, and Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu have expressed interest in the seat.

Goodwill

Ranguma enjoys goodwill from Kisumu staff and the business community over his leadership style, which appealed to the majority.

He also has projects in his name in every corner of the county, and this could act as a plus in his pursuit of a final term.

Will Kano unite to recapture the seat, or will Nyakach have the last laugh?

Kisumu politics is likely to get juicy ahead of next year’s August general elections.

President Ruto rewards Gor Mahia with goodies

By
Western Insight Newsroom
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By PHILLIP ORWA

President Ruto has rewarded Gor Mahia FC with Sh10 million following the club’s triumphant 2025/26 SportPesa Premier League title-winning campaign.

In addition, every member of the winning squad and technical bench will receive a token of Sh100,000.

The Head of State made the announcement during a luncheon hosted for the record Kenyan champions at State House, Nairobi.

While commenting on their achievement, the President said:

“Hosted Gor Mahia Football Club at State House Nairobi to celebrate their winning the 2025/2026 SportPesa Premier League title and bagging a historic 22nd league championship victory. This admirable achievement is a clear testament to the grit, consistency, determination, and discipline that K’Ogalo have shown season after season, bringing immense joy to their fanbase and the country. It is the product of unwavering unity and superb management, on and off the pitch, and a relentless drive to be the best.

For decades, Gor Mahia has been more than a club; it is part of Kenya’s identity. The team’s rich legacy continues to inspire young Kenyans to chase their goals, fully express their talents, work as a team, and strive for greatness and competitiveness.

As the team heads to the CAF Champions League, we are sure that Gor Mahia goes forth carrying the hopes and pride of the entire nation. May this milestone be the start of even bigger glories for the club and for Kenyan football. Hongera K’Ogalo.”

President Ruto also said that his administration plans to build and improve more stadia in order to help nurture sports talent.

“The government remains committed to backing our youth in sports. In the next year, we will be completing 28 new stadia. We will keep investing in modern, world-class sporting facilities across the country to give every young person in every part of the country an opportunity to realise their dreams.”

Adel Balala Sets the Pace After Round One of NCBA Royal Classic

By
Western Insight Newsroom
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0

By PHILLIP ORWA

Nyali Golf & Country Club amateur Adel Balala took the lead after the first round of the NCBA Royal Classic, the second leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing season being played at Royal Nairobi Golf Club over the weekend.

Balala carded an impressive 6-under par 66 to claim a one-shot advantage heading into Monday’s second round.

The Kenyan amateur made his intentions clear early in the round, producing a flawless opening nine that featured an eagle on the par-five third hole and a birdie on the seventh to make the turn at 3-under par.

He carried that momentum into the back nine with another birdie at the 10th, before a bogey at the 11th briefly threatened to stall his progress.

Balala responded impressively, picking up further birdies at the 12th, 15th, 16th and 18th holes to offset another dropped shot on the 14th and finish the day atop a highly competitive leaderboard.

Speaking after his round, Balala said: “I’m very pleased with how I played today. I stayed patient throughout the round, gave myself chances and managed to take advantage of most of them. The eagle on the third gave me a lot of confidence early on, and from there I focused on staying disciplined and sticking to my game plan. It’s only the first round, so there’s still a lot of golf to be played, but it’s always nice to put yourself in a good position heading into the next two days.”

Sharing second place is a three-way tie of Greg Snow, Daniel Nduva and Nelson Mudanyi, with the trio all carding 5-under par 67.

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Snow recovered from an early bogey on the third hole in spectacular fashion, reeling off four consecutive birdies from the fifth through to the eighth to vault himself into contention. He added further birdies on the 14th, 15th and 18th holes, with his only other blemish coming at the par-four 12th.

The strong finish leaves the former Sunshine Development Tour winner firmly in the hunt for his first title of the season.

On his part, Nyali Golf & Country Club pro Daniel Nduva’s round featured birdies on the fifth, 10th, 15th and 18th holes and a superb eagle on the 7th. His only dropped shot came on the first hole.

Mudanyi, meanwhile, produced one of the most aggressive rounds of the day, sinking six birdies on the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 11th, 12th, 15th and 16th holes. Despite bogeys on the 8th and 13th, the Muthaiga Golf Club professional remained firmly in contention and heads into the second round just one shot behind the leader.

Ken Abuto rounds off the top five on 2-under par 70, while England’s Elliot Bradley and Uganda’s Abraham Ainamani are the highest-placed international players after both carded rounds of 1-under par 71.

The tournament has attracted a strong field of 96 golfers from 11 countries, including professionals, elite amateurs, ladies and junior golfers competing for valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.

Following round two action on Monday, the top 30 players plus ties will proceed to play the final round on Tuesday, where they will battle for the title and a share of the Sh2 million prize money on offer.

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