By-election aftershock: Governor Wanga removes her deputy from CEC role
By Luke Oluoch, December 1, 2025Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has stripped her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga, of his role as the County Executive Committee head of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, days after he defied the ODM party by supporting the rival candidate in the Kasipul Parliamentary by-elections.
In a communique from the county on Monday, December 1, 2025, Wanga reassigned Danish Onyango as the acting member of the docket previously held by Magwanga
In other changes, Peter Ogolla has also been dismissed from Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, and Urban Development, while nominating Joseph Mitito.
Ogolla, a close ally of Magwanga, was serving as the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, and Urban Development.
“In order to enhance service delivery and to better serve the people of Homa Bay County, while exercising the powers bestowed on me as the Governor, I do hereby reassign Mr. Danish Onyango to serve not only as the County Executives Committee Member for Roads, Public Works, Transport, and Infrastructure but also to further serve as the Acting County Executive Committee Member in charge of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock Development,” part of the statement read.
The relieving of Magwanga comes days after the governor read the riot act, promising to work with like-minded officials in her quest to better serve the people of Homa Bay.
The governor made the remarks as he took a swipe at her opponents, some of whom defied the ODM position in the Kasipul by-elections and endorsed rival candidates.
Wanga-Magwanga ‘marriage’
It also comes a day after the People Daily Digital compiled a list of politicians. facing an uncertain future after the decisive by-election in the constituency.
Before the 2022 general election, Magwanga and Gladys Wanga were among the many aspirants vying for the Homa Bay County gubernatorial seat. The pair were entangled in a fierce and intense competition for the ODM ticket that eventually pushed the then ODM Party Leader, the late Raila Odinga, to convene a meeting between the two leaders in an attempt to reach a consensus.
Raila later brokered a coalition arrangement where Gladys Wanga would run for governor while Oyugi Magwanga would deputise her
While the deal quelled the perceived animosity between the two, Magwanga’s recent move to support Philip Aroko and publicly defy ODM and the broad-based position has reignited a possible supremacy contest pitting the two.