CS Mutua likens Wanga’s development record to his first term as Machakos Governor
By Arnold Ngure, August 14, 2025Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Alfred Mutua has likened the leadership of Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga to his first term in office as Machakos County Governor.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Mutua described Wanga’s infrastructural progress as relentless, noting that it fills him with nostalgia for his days at the helm of Machakos County.
“I must say, I am truly proud of Homa Bay County Governor Gladys Wanga. I deeply admire your leadership, dedication, and relentless pursuit of results. Watching your work fills me with nostalgia, reminding me of my tenure as the first Governor of Machakos County, where I initiated numerous transformative projects and set hallmarks of devolution,” Mutua remarked.
Succession worries
Mutua equally expressed his sympathies that the people of Homa Bay may never get a better leader to take up the mantle from Wanga at the expiry of her term.
“You are doing exceptionally well, my sister; keep the spirit alive and aim to surpass what many of us achieved. The real test, however, will be finding a successor capable of sustaining and building upon your great work; but that’s a conversation for another day,” Mutua observed.
Wanga became the Governor for Homa Bay after garnering 244,559 votes on an ODM ticket to win against former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, who garnered 154,182 votes as an independent candidate in the 2022 general elections.
Homa Bay politics
She had served as the County Woman Representative for one term before setting her eyes on the top County seat.
While the race had attracted local political heavyweights in the region, including the current Deputy County Governor Oyugi Magwanga and Treasury CS John Mbadi, the ODM party prevailed on them to shelve their ambitions and support Wanga.
Mutua served as the first Governor of Machakos County and was re-elected in 2017 in a closely contested election with the current Governor Wavinya Ndeti, who had unsuccessfully challenged Mutua’s re-election.
While Mutua took pride in his transformative works in the county during his tenure, a section of his critics dismissed his leadership style as riddled with public relations stunts.