The political rivalry between Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo has burst into the open after a group of women staged a dramatic protest in Kisumu on Tuesday, signalling widening fractures within Nyanza’s political landscape.
The demonstration, in which women carried placards praising the influential PS, is alleged to have been coordinated by Kisumu political enforcer Boy Akoth and Kibuye Market chairlady Judith Matengo, known locally as Nyaramba. Political insiders in Kisumu claim the protest was financed and organised to project Omollo’s growing grassroots clout.
Matengo’s involvement immediately raised eyebrows. The market leader, who defected from Dr Joshua Oron’s camp to former MP Ken Obura’s faction, has recently been touting her access to senior figures around Omollo. Her profile surged further after she was arrested last month for allegedly assaulting a pregnant trader who declined to support Obura, widely viewed as Omollo’s preferred Kisumu gubernatorial prospect.
The Kisumu protest forms part of a string of tensions that have simmered since the Kasipul by-election, where senior ODM operatives whispered that Dr Omollo quietly backed independent candidate Philemon Aroko—popularly known as Otete Otete—against ODM’s Boyd Were, who eventually won. The move was interpreted as a direct affront to party structures and deepened suspicion about the PS’s political intentions in Nyanza.
Relations between the two camps have since deteriorated, with allies on both sides trading accusations of sabotage, disloyalty and covert political manoeuvres.
One of the most visible casualties so far is Homa Bay Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga, who was recently stripped of the influential Agriculture portfolio. Multiple sources in Homa Bay say the reshuffle was a calculated move to sideline figures perceived as sympathetic to Omollo. Within political circles, Magwanga is increasingly being discussed as a possible 2027 gubernatorial contender backed by the PS’s network—a prospect that has unsettled Wanga’s inner circle.
At the heart of the supremacy battle are competing ambitions and the shifting equations ahead of the 2027 general election. Wanga’s allies accuse Omollo’s allies of mounting an underground campaign to paint the governor as unfit for elevation to a national ticket, amid speculation that she is on ODM’s shortlist of potential deputy presidential running mates.
Omollo’s growing prominence within the national security architecture and Wanga’s stature within ODM have turned what was once quiet competition into a full-blown regional turf war. The confrontation is already influencing grassroots alignments across Homa Bay and Kisumu, with both camps aggressively consolidating their bases.
Tuesday’s protests may only be the opening act of a political showdown that is likely to define the future of Luo Nyanza’s leadership. As 2027 draws nearer, neither side appears willing to cede ground, setting the stage for one of the region’s most consequential and unpredictable battles.
There's no story that cannot be told. We cover the stories that others don't want to be told, we bring you all the news you need. If you have tips, exposes or any story you need to be told bluntly and all queries write to us [email protected] also find us on Telegram
