Kitutu Chache South Member of Parliament (MP) Antony Kibagendi has sharply criticised Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga over her recent remarks on the role of former President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2022 General Election.

Taking to his official Facebook account on Monday, April 6, 2026, Kibagendi accused Wanga of attempting to downplay Kenyatta’s contribution to the presidential campaign of the late Raila Odinga, terming such claims as misleading and a distortion of facts.

Uhuru’s support

Kibagendi argued that Kenyatta committed significant political capital and state machinery in support of Raila, even in regions where the backing faced resistance.

According to Kibagendi, Odinga’s ability to secure approximately 1.3 million votes from the Mt. Kenya region is evidence of that support.

“Recent remarks by Gladys Wanga attempting to downplay the role of Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2022 presidential election are not only misleading but a deliberate distortion of facts. The truth is that President Kenyatta committed substantial political capital and state machinery in support of Raila Odinga, even in the face of significant resistance within the Mt. Kenya region. Despite that resistance, Raila Odinga still secured approximately 1.3 million votes from the region—clear evidence of that support,” he stated.

Internal failures

Beyond defending Kenyatta’s role, Kibagendi shifted focus to what he described as internal shortcomings within Odinga’s support base, particularly in Luo Nyanza.

He revealed that more than 700,000 registered voters in the region failed to turn up during the election, a factor he believes significantly impacted the final outcome.

He further noted that even an increase of about 25,000 votes could have forced a presidential runoff by denying any candidate the constitutional threshold of 50 percent plus one vote.

“What must now be said, without fear or favour, is that the greatest failure was not external, it was internal. In Luo Nyanza, over 700,000 registered voters did not turn out to vote. A modest improvement in turnout, just 300,000 additional voters, would likely have decisively changed the outcome of that election. Even more striking, a turnout increase of just 25,000 votes could have forced a runoff by denying any candidate the constitutional threshold of 50% + 1, fundamentally altering the trajectory of the race,” he said.

Campaign strategy

Kibagendi also criticized some of Odinga’s key political operatives, accusing them of failing in crucial areas such as voter mobilization, agent deployment, and parallel tallying.

He claimed that many of these individuals had been given direct party nominations with the expectation that they would deliver results, but fell short when it mattered most.

“Equally concerning is the role played by some of Raila Odinga’s key political operatives and beneficiaries, many of whom were handed direct party nominations on the understanding that they would deliver national coordination, protect the vote, and mobilize supporters. Instead, they failed in critical areas such as agent deployment, parallel tallying, and voter mobilization. Today, rather than taking responsibility, they continue to deflect blame and mislead the public,” he added.

The outspoken politician urged leaders from Luo Nyanza to engage in honest introspection, warning against complacency and entitlement.

Kibagendi emphasised that his criticism was not directed at all leaders from the region but maintained that a section of leadership failed to rise to the occasion during the election.

His remarks have reignited debate over the factors that led to Odinga’s loss in the tightly contested 2022 presidential race, with questions around voter turnout, campaign strategy, and regional dynamics once again coming into focus.