By Hope Barbra
In a bid to calm the restive and vote-rich Greater Rachuonyo, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has invited professionals from the region for a meeting at a Nairobi hotel.
Wanga, currently experiencing a fallout with her deputy Oyugi Magwanga, will meet professionals from Karachuonyo, Kasipul and Kabondo Kasipul at Tamarind Hotel in what is termed as the Governor’s town hall with professionals from Greater Rachuonyo.
According to the IEBC 2022 register, Homa Bay County has 551,071 registered voters, with Kasipul, Kabondo Kasipul and Karachuonyo accounting for 67,513, 59,910 and 94,181 respectively, totaling 221,604. This accounts for 40 percent of the total number of registered voters in Homa Bay County.
Other constituencies are Rangwe with 58,335, Homa Bay Town with 58,335, Ndhiwa with 96,734, Suba North with 60,674 and Suba South with 54,838 voters.
Rangwe, which is Governor Wanga’s backyard, accounts for only 10.5 percent of the registered voters. Ndhiwa and Greater Rachuonyo share a common lineage and have tended to vote together.
Wanga and Magwanga differed openly in the controversial and disputed ODM primary for Kasipul, where Boyd Were, supported by the governor, won by over 18,000 votes against the deputy’s candidate Newton Ogada, who garnered just over 3,000 votes.
Ogada has moved to the tribunal to challenge the exercise, terming it a sham riddled with allegations of rigging and election malpractices.
Wanga and Magwanga were brought into a forced Homa Bay County leadership by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga after he prevailed upon candidates to support the duo ticket.
CEC in charge of Finance, Solomon Obiero, will be the master of ceremonies, where various government officers will give presentations.
In the program, the presenters will give a general overview of countywide flagship projects (2022–2025) and then an overview of constituency and ward projects.
Also listed is a brief on departmental projects in the constituencies under roads, transport and public works, health and medical services, water, environment, forestry and climate change, blue economy, digital economy, mining and fisheries, trade, industry and investment, and agriculture and irrigation.
Conspicuously missing in the list is Magwanga, whose place has been taken over by the chief officer, who is expected to deliver a presentation before the governor gives the keynote speech.
Also missing in the list is the CEC member for Trade, Investment, Industrialization, Tourism and Marketing, Dr. Joash Aloo, who had previously expressed interest in the Kasipul parliamentary seat but was prevailed upon by the governor. The chief officer will instead present on behalf of the CEC.
Magwanga and professionals from Kasipul, led by Eng. Tom Awino Okoko and Baldwin Oluoch, have ganged up to oppose Wanga’s candidate.
Wanga and Magwanga are set to face off in the 2027 gubernatorial election, as attempts to reconcile the two look untenable.
Wanga, a close ally of both Raila and President William Ruto, hopes to exploit the relationship to secure a second term.
Magwanga is hoping to leverage the Greater Rachuonyo vote bloc to land the top seat.
