Inside Gladys Wanga's changing fortunes

Homa Bay Governor and ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga appears to be a woman on a mission as she ruffles feathers with perceived critics, launching an ambitious drive to strengthen ODM while simultaneously building President William Ruto's reelection bid.

But it is a move fraught with deep suspicion, internal divisions, and resentment by a section of the ODM faithful who believe the experienced politician is on a self-seeking mission at the expense of the party's legacy.

Within ODM, insiders claim she is one of the spines anchoring the push to endorse a pre-election deal with President Ruto and is willing to do whatever it takes to position herself as a point person for the president alongside party leader Oburu Oginga.

They claim she is the force behind Oburu and is among the closest circles that are guiding Oburu's moves that have attracted criticisms from a section of party supporters.

Observers believe Wanga could be eyeing something greater beyond ODM politics, with some claiming that she has set her eyes on the deputy presidency position that ODM is salivating for and that Kithure Kindiki and his Mt Kenya supporters wouldn't want to let go. This is the same position Blue Economy CS Hassan Joho is said to be interested in, if not something big, if he has to mobilise the Coast region towards a Ruto two-term chorus.

They also claim she appears to be eyeing to fill the big shoes left by the late ODM leader Raila Odinga, a conquest that has attracted several political elites, including Hassan Joho, Co-operatives Wycliffe Oparanya, Finance CS John Mbadi, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Interior PS Raymond Omollo, and expelled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.

And she also appears to be moving in a different direction from the approach her fellow Luo Nyanza County governors are taking, especially James Orengo and Anyang' Nyong'o, who are against weakening the ODM party through partnership with President Ruto's UDA. Migori's Ochillo Ayacko has also remained largely non-committal in the unfolding political game.

But beneath this push by Wanga lie claims of her dictatorial tendencies and an attempt to muscle perceived competitors out of the way because they allegedly are working with rival factions in ODM.

These claims hit a climax this week after her deputy Oyugi Magwanga resigned, citing frustrations from her boss, as four MCAs also attributed their plight after being kicked out of committees on ODM leadership wrangles.

Wanga, however, has dismissed Magwanga's claims and maintained that she had no hand in the decision by Magwanga to resign.

“Under my leadership, the County Government continues to uphold accountability, expand development across all wards, and maintain institutional stability,” she said.

In the last couple of weeks, Wanga has been on an overdrive. Barely a day passes before she leads a rally and is the new political kid on the block, commanding chopper rides as she hops from one rally to another.

In the last couple of months, she has led campaigns for the Linda Ground initiatives in Coast, in Nyanza, and in Nairobi. It is, however, not clear who is funding the very expensive chopper tours that sometimes take a whole day because of the many stops she is making.

In between the rallies, she has declared Nyanza a no-go zone for the embattled Sifuna, Babu, and their allies backing the Linda Mwanainchi rallies across the country.

So dedicated is Wanga in her mission that on Thursday, she attended three different events spread over Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Siaya, hoping around in a helicopter as she enjoys a new status she is striving to achieve.

"She is the one literally pushing ODM alongside a few cronies. Her position as the chairperson has emboldened her, and that is why she is making the moves she is making," said a senior ODM official.

Wanga has also, since the demise of Raila and the elevation of Oburu as ODM party leader, enjoyed free access to State House to meet President Ruto. She has also repeatedly hosted him in Homa Bay county where he is now a very frequent visitor.

Some supporters are happy, but not everyone appreciates what she is doing, because several leaders, including fellow governors, have avoided some of her meetings as others send cryptic messages against her moves. In some places, for instance, in Ahero about two weeks ago, Wanga ran into a hostile crowd as sections of the crowd heckled her.

For instance, last week, as she led a charged Linda Ground rally in Kisumu, one of the founders of ODM, Governor Anyang' Nyong'o, was a no-show at her much-publicised meeting.

During the rally, leaders who had accompanied Wanga dared the Sifuna-Babu axis to campaign in the region, claiming that they would take unspecified actions against them. 

Last week, the fragile relationship between Wanga and her deputy veteran politician, Oyugi Magwanga, hit a breaking point after Magwanga resigned from his position over claims of frustrations from Wanga.

Some political analysts argue that his resignation may work against Governor Gladys Wanga’s re-election, while others say it may not.

Lawyer Joshua Nyamori said Magwanga says that if Magwanga teams up with other opinion shapers who are disgruntled with Wanga’s leadership in the county, he may obstruct Wanga’s victory in 2027.

According to Nyamori, Magwanga’s frustration signifies that Wanga is dislodging key opinion-shapers who played crucial roles in her ascension to governorship.

“The kind of frustrations Magwanga has been undergoing shows that Wanga is dismantling key opinion-shapers who helped her to win the election in 2022. These opinion shapers may regroup to support Magwanga, and doing so may make Wanga have a run for her money,” Nyamori said.

Magwanga addressed journalists on Thursday evening in Oyugis to announce his resignation during an event that surprised residents of Homa Bay County.

The former Kasipul MP explained that he had endeavoured to discharge his duties with integrity and loyalty to the people. But he could not manage the measurement.

He said his frustrations began in December last year when he was denied access to his official office, which was locked at the county government headquarters.

"I was consequently compelled to proceed on early annual leave under involuntary circumstances," Magwanga said.

He added that he remained locked out when even his leave lapsed in January, making him unable to resume his official duties.

Magwanga complained that Governor Wanga also denied him his official vehicle.

"While undertaking official duty in Nairobi, the official vehicle assigned to my office was repossessed without prior notice. The remaining county vehicle allocated to my office is unserviceable, and I have not been facilitated with fuel or logistical support necessary to perform my constitutional responsibilities," Magwanga said.