Elders confront Governor Wanga over escalating feud with DG Magwanga
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has come under sharp criticism by a section of elders from her county over several controversies surrounding the county boss
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has come under sharp criticism by a section of elders from her county over several controversies surrounding the county boss.
Rachuonyo elders on Wednesday, December 3, were critical of Wanga, who they accused of undermining local leaders and government officials.
According to the elders, the county boss’s remarks during and after the by-elections in Kasipul constituency did not exhibit leadership and were likely to cause division in Homa Bay.
“Your utterances of late do not show the quality of leadership. Having quoted the undisclosed amount of money that has been spent in the by-election, was it your money or money that belongs to the public?” one elder posed.
Further, the elders accused Wanga of overly focusing on her role as chairperson of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) at the expense of her job as county boss.
“You, as the governor, are the chair of ODM. How are you going to manage yourself as chairman and governor of Homa Bay? Sometimes you will choose one and leave the other. The two contradict each other,” the elders went on.
The elders also took a swipe at Wanga over her recent cabinet reshuffle, which all but ousted her deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga from key roles.
In the reshuffle, Magwaga was stripped of his additional role as County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Agriculture as part of wider changes.
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But according to Rachuonyo elders, the move was ill-motivated, allegedly because the Homa Bay deputy governor failed to back ODM favourite Boyd Were for the Kasipul parliamentary seat.
In the build-up to the Kasipul race, Wanga openly championed Boyd Were, son of the late Kasipul lawmaker Ong’ondo Were, particularly because he was contesting on an ODM ticket.
“We saw the governor and deputy at loggerheads because of the stance they took. That is a democratic right, and overstepping the boundaries is unacceptable. The governor knows her role and what is not her role,” the elders warned.
Wanga and Magwanga’s feud played out publicly on November 30 after the governor dared her number two and other county officials opposing her administration to resign and pave the way for those willing to work with her.
She emphasised that no one working in her administration has the moral authority to criticise it, insisting that loyalty and discipline are non-negotiable for all county officers.
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