Inside the political battles Governor Wanga faces in Homa Bay

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga during campaigns for Kasipul parliamentary seat by-election /HANDOUT

At the centre of these challenges are escalating internal rivalries, governance concerns and heightened parliamentary scrutiny—all of which have exposed tensions within her administration and the broader ODM political structure.

The Kasipul parliamentary by-election laid bare the political turbulence surrounding the governor ahead of the 2027 general election.

Her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga, openly defied her and the ODM party by backing an independent candidate, a move that intensified internal hostilities.

There are speculations that Magwanga, a renowned grassroots mobiliser, will run against her boss. 

However, Wanga secured a round one victory against Magwanga last week on Thursday after her candidate, Boyd Were, won the by-election. 

Wanga is also reportedly at loggerheads with several ODM MPs over her leadership approach.

Despite her cordial working relationship with President William Ruto, she does not see eye-to-eye with most UDA leaders in the county.

The UDA officials rallied behind independent candidate Philip Aroko, signalling long-standing friction.

She further faces political pressure from other senior figures, including former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, whom she narrowly defeated in 2022 amid claims of electoral irregularities.

Observers warn that although Wanga remains an assertive and articulate politician, the stakes are higher following the death of ODM party leader Raila Odinga, whose influence significantly boosted her rise. Raila died on October 15 while undergoing treatment in India. 

“Governor Gladys Wanga is very aggressive and articulate, but the perception out there is that she was Baba’s right-hand person. She will face a serious test in 2027,” Professor Macharia Munene said.

Ahead of the 2022 election, Raila personally intervened to secure Wanga the ODM ticket and convinced Magwanga to become her running mate—effectively sidestepping party primaries.

This angered Kidero, who ran as an independent candidate.

In the Kasipul by-election, Magwanga mounted a fierce campaign against his boss, accusing her administration of awarding tenders to outsiders and neglecting local contractors.

He campaigned vigorously for independent candidate Aroko, despite ODM instructing members to support its nominee, Boyd.

“How can we auction Homa Bay, our people? Where will our contractors get jobs?” Magwanga asked during a campaign rally.

He also dismissed the party’s nomination process as flawed, alleging that ineligible persons—including pupils—participated in the ODM primary.

He argued that external interests manipulated the process to influence the outcome.

In a veiled response to her defiant deputy, Wanga said Kasipul voters were taken through ‘a lot’ and told off pessimists who had written off ODM after Raila’s demise.

“It [winning Kasipul by-election] shows ODM remains strong, resilient and is ready. For those who wrote off ODM because of the passing of Baba, I think they have now seen for themselves,” she said.

 “That ODM is the largest party and in touch with its masses. It is also a big honour for our departed party leader.”

The by-election followed the death of Kasipul MP Charles Were, who was shot in Nairobi on April 30.

ODM selected his son, Boyd, as its candidate—another decision Magwanga publicly rejected.

“There is no law that says a son should replace his father,” he said.

“I am being told to support Boyd, but I will not.”

Political analysts believe the deepening rift sets the stage for a bruising showdown in 2027, with indications that Magwanga may run against Wanga.

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma harshly criticised Magwanga's stance, accusing him of reviving old hostilities involving former MP Were.

Kaluma argued that transferring historical political grudges to his family was unfair.

Beyond politics, Wanga is also under pressure over governance issues, particularly the delayed payment of contractors owed millions of shillings.

Contractors recently threatened to shut down county operations unless their dues were settled.

Appearing before the Senate Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’, the county’s financial troubles came under sharp scrutiny.

The committee highlighted a spiralling wage bill, a backlog of pending bills and concerns over possible ghost workers.

Homa Bay’s wage bill has spiralled to 55 per cent of total revenues—far above the 35 per cent statutory cap. The bill rose by more than Sh400 million in just a year.

“The wage bill grew from about Sh4.6 billion to Sh5 billion in one year. What happened?” Kajwang’ questioned, warning that the trend could cripple service delivery.

In response, Governor Wanga attributed the rise to the payment of long-pending statutory deductions, including gratuity and pensions, as well as new employer obligations such as the Affordable Housing Levy.

She also acknowledged that the hiring of additional staff had increased expenditure.

“When you start remitting employer obligations, you will not pay the same as when you were not paying them,” she explained.

As Homa Bay politics heats up, Wanga finds herself navigating internal rebellion and external scrutiny—an early preview of the uphill battle she faces as the 2027 race draws closer.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

Gladys Wanga faces challenges in Homa Bay, including pressure from contractors demanding payment for outstanding bills, scrutiny from the Senate Public Accounts Committee over financial irregularities, and internal political friction with rivals. Reports from September 2025 highlight that contractors are threatening to shut down county facilities due to non-payment, a situation linked to financial concerns raised by the auditor general for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Coupled with the defiance of her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga, Wanga faces growing challenges that may hit her re-election prospects.