By Anderson Ojwang
The demise of Raila Amolo Odinga, the fulcrum of the Odinga dynasty, has left a gap and opened room for other dynasties to emerge.
Already a new power order is emerging in Nyanza, including that of Homa Bay Governor Gladys Atieno Nyasuna Wanga, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Siaya Governor James Orengo among others.
Wanga inherited the political clout of her father Nyasuna, a former councilor in Kisumu County Council and a close confidant of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
From a political minnow in Homa Bay county politics, Wanga steadily rose to become the county ODM branch chairperson, Women Representative and the first woman governor from Western Kenya.
Recently, she was confirmed by the ODM Special Delegates Conference (SDC) as National Chairperson, a milestone.
But on the path to this steep rise, Wanga has created both allies and foes. She has been on the war path on her ascension and soon she is likely to have a date with destiny.
On her list of political battles include Deputy President Prof Abraham Kithure Kindiki, Permanent Secretary for Internal Security Dr Raymond Omollo, Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo, Raila’s daughter Winnie Odinga, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, former deputy governor Oyugi Magwanga, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Chief of Staff in the ODM party leader’s office, Mr Michael Agwanda, among others, as the list continues to grow.
Currently, Wanga has become the focal point in the ODM, with MPs and various political aspirants on a high drive for her attention. She is viewed as the possible gate pass to the ODM certificate, and that is why most of the sitting MPs and aspirants have been lining up for her attention.
The Nyasuna dynasty in the making
According to Koyoo, a close relative, Wanga has embarked on a political move to create the Nyasuna dynasty after realizing the Odinga dynasty was on a slow death roll.
“Wanga is excited that the Odinga dynasty is dying. She wants to create the Nyasuna dynasty. I wish them well because they are my blood. In this political dispensation, you may be too near and yet too far. Most people fall when they are very close. It is her right to have candidates everywhere, and I am least perturbed by her younger brother’s candidature for the Muhoroni parliamentary seat,” he said.
Koyoo versus Robert Nyasuna for Muhoroni
Last weekend, Wanga led a high-powered delegation of MPs and aspirants to a function in Muhoroni that was viewed as a scheme to market her younger brother Robert for the seat.
“Where is Hon. Koyoo? I invited Koyoo to this function, but I don’t know why he has not turned up. I respect him because he paid my fees at Kenyatta University. I know my younger brother Robert wants to be the area MP. That will be decided by the people, and I will remain impartial,” she said.
But Koyoo dismissed Wanga, saying he only received a forwarded message from the governor hours before the function and said Wanga has been undermining him even when she was in parliament, he said.
Koyoo has exuded confidence of successfully defending his seat in 2027 and was least worried by the candidature of Robert Nyasuna and Wanga.
But Robert has stated that he is the most suitable candidate to defeat Koyoo and currently works as Wanga’s advisor in Homa Bay County.
Dr Raymond Omollo
Wanga and Omollo have had a cat-and-mouse relationship and have been feuding over the national government projects in the county. While Omollo is credited for spearheading the projects, Wanga also claims to have lobbied President William Ruto for the projects.
The feud forced Hesborn Omollo, Raymond’s elder brother, to relinquish his political ambition for the Homa Bay gubernatorial seat to thaw a plot by a section of MPs who were pushing for the PS’s removal.
Currently, there were allegations that a section of Homa Bay MPs allegedly asked President Ruto to transfer Omollo to a lesser position or to sack him altogether.
This was viewed as a continuing fight between Omollo and Wanga after last year’s demonstrations against the Homa Bay governor for allegedly fighting the permanent secretary. The demonstrations were witnessed in Kisumu, Siaya and Migori counties and parts of Nairobi.
Magwanga versus Wanga
The forced marriage between Wanga and Magwanga finally ended abruptly after the latter resigned, alleging frustration from his boss.
Magwanga has officially declared his interest to unseat Wanga and termed her a one-term governor. The two have recently engaged in bitter exchanges and are no longer seeing eye to eye. Wanga and Magwanga are gearing up for a grueling battle and have both released their political arsenals ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The post of Deputy President, a bargaining chip
The post of the Deputy President has become a bargaining chip, with Wanga viewed as one of the top potentials for the seat. This has brought discomfort between Wanga and Deputy President Kindiki Kithure.
Wanga has been one of the main architects in the ODM who demand that the post of Deputy President should be given to the party in the pre-election coalition with UDA.
Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has claimed Wanga was positioning herself to run for the Deputy President position in the 2027 general elections, ahead of the anticipated coalition.
Kindiki recently delivered reconciliation overtures to his Mt Kenya leaders and community as the scramble for the post goes a notch higher.
Michael Agwanda, Chief of Staff in the office of ODM party leader
The appointment of Michael Agwanda, once a close family friend to Wanga but a relationship now turned sour, did not go down well with Wanga and other political quarters in the party.
Dr Oburu shocked many when he settled on Agwanda, a close family friend, against the various senior former and current high-ranking government officials who had been proposed to him by some of the top officials in the party.
The proposal was meant to cage and control Oburu’s political move and keep him in check. Already, some quarters had wanted him to remove his son Elijah Oburu from his post of personal assistant. But Oburu and Elijah rebuffed the move.
The appointment of Agwanda has complicated the arithmetic, and that is why Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo, at the funeral of the brother of ODM Executive Director Oduor Ongwen, and in the presence of Wanga, demanded the 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.
Agwanda said he doesn’t have any political difference with Gogo and wondered why she would attack him, but was not amused.
Cold war between Wanga and Winnie Odinga over the Deputy Party Leader slot
After the burial of Raila, sources told Western Insight that Winnie called Wanga and she never picked up her call, and this allegedly enraged Winnie.
Winnie is seen as the heir apparent to the Odinga family and possible leader of ODM, and her elevation to a prominent position would diminish Wanga’s rating in the party.
That is one of the reasons why the proposal to elevate her as Deputy Party Leader was shot down, and this explains why she came late for the SDC.
Ahead of the SDC, the Nairobi branch had proposed Winnie for appointment as Deputy Party Leader, but this was scuttled.
Deputy Party Leader Abdulsamad Nassir at a press conference ahead of the SDC said there was a possibility for a consideration for Winnie to be made as one of the deputy party leaders.
But Wanga said at the same interview that the SNDC was called for the purpose of ratification of the officials, and they will have an ordinary NDC at the end of every fifth year to elect new officials.
Winnie is feared because she may oppose and even challenge to take over the party leadership and edge out the suitors.
This is why the feuding family witnessed Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga and Winnie return to support Oburu to stop the party from slipping away from the hands of the Odingas.
The question is: will Wanga successfully build the Nyasuna empire with tens of battles on her hands, and will she overcome the 2027 political litmus test in the absence of Raila? Time will tell.
