Homa Bay Governor Wanga Strips DG Magwanga From Key County Role After Kasipul Fallout

Homa Bay Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga has been stripped of his agriculture portfolio following his defiance during the recent Kasipul parliamentary by-election, deepening the political rift between him and Governor Gladys Wanga.

In an executive order dated Monday, December 1, Wanga dismissed Magwanga from his concurrent role as County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Development, leaving him to serve only as deputy governor without an assigned docket.

The governor appointed Danish Onyango, the CECM for Roads, Public Works, Transport and Infrastructure, to serve as acting CECM for Agriculture .

The changes came after Magwanga openly defied Wanga, who is also ODM’s national chairperson, by throwing his weight behind independent candidate Philip Aroko instead of the party’s candidate Boyd Were during the November 27 by-election.

Boyd Were went on to win the seat with 16,819 votes against Aroko’s 8,476 votes, but the political damage between the county’s top leaders had already been done.

In a strongly worded statement on Monday, Magwanga condemned his removal, terming it a calculated political power play.

He accused the governor of locking up government offices over political disagreements, which he said strips the government of its integrity and stalls essential services.

“Locking up government offices over political disagreements is an intolerable attack on our democratic institutions and the rule of law. This is a calculated political power play aimed directly at undermining my office and obstructing the functions of county governance,” Magwanga stated.

Wanga also dismissed Dr Peter Ogolla, who served as the CECM for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development, and nominated Joseph Mitito from Homa Bay Town constituency to replace him. Mitito’s name has been forwarded to the county assembly for vetting and approval.

According to the governor, the changes were made to enhance service delivery for residents of the lakeside county. She directed the county secretary to ensure a smooth handover by those affected, with the changes taking immediate effect.

The Kasipul by-election exposed deep fissures within ODM and the Homa Bay county leadership.

During the campaigns, Magwanga, who had served as Kasipul MP before the 2017 election, told voters there is no law dictating that the successor of a deceased MP must be related to him or her.

Boyd Were is the 27-year-old son of late Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was assassinated in April this year .

Magwanga claimed that the nomination process that settled on Boyd as the party’s flagbearer was not free and fair, citing alleged irregularities and manipulation that led to discontent among some party members .

Following the by-election, ODM leaders in the county, including Governor Wanga, have been pressuring Magwanga to resign, with an impeachment plot also being considered.

Shortly after the election, Wanga issued a stern warning to county employees, stating, “I will not work with people who are distracting me. Either you work with me or I let you go”.

The strained relationship between Wanga and Magwanga is not new.

Their political partnership was forged in 2022 under the influence of ODM leader Raila Odinga, who pushed for a unified ticket in the Homa Bay gubernatorial race.

Despite winning the election together, their working relationship has remained uneasy, punctuated by competition for influence and divergent political loyalties.

With the 2027 general election looming, the latest developments signal escalating political tensions that are likely to shape Homa Bay’s political landscape in the coming years.

Wanga is expected to defend her seat, while Magwanga’s next political steps remain uncertain.