The cold war in Homa Bay is over; the open battle for political survival has begun. Governor Gladys Wanga finds herself standing on a precipice, staring down a decision that could define her legacy or derail her 2027 re-election bid: to impeach or not to impeach her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga.

What began as whispered tensions in the corridors of the county headquarters has erupted into a public brawl, paralyzing the county’s executive wing. The trigger was the November 27 Kasipul constituency by-election, where political loyalty was tested and, in Wanga’s eyes, failed. While the Governor rallied the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) machine behind the eventual winner, Boyd Were, her deputy openly campaigned for independent candidate Philip Aroko. The betrayal was public, and the retaliation was swift.

The Purge and the Padlocks

On December 1, Governor Wanga did not mince words. In a decisive cabinet reshuffle, she stripped Magwanga of his powerful portfolio as the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture and Livestock. “I will not work with people who are distracting me. Either you work with me or I let you go,” Wanga declared, emphasizing that internal sabotage would no longer be tolerated.

But the administrative surgical strike soon turned physical. Magwanga alleges that his official office was padlocked and blocked by “goons,” effectively locking him out of the government he was elected to co-lead. “This is no longer a cold war—it is open hostility,” a senior county official, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told Streamline News. Magwanga, however, remains defiant. In a fiery interview with NTV, he dared the Governor’s camp to bring the impeachment motion to the County Assembly. “Should it fail, I will also initiate mine, because she knows me and I know her,” he warned.

The Political Calculus

For Governor Wanga, the dilemma is acute. Removing Magwanga might cleanse her administration of a dissenting voice, but the political fallout could be radioactive. Magwanga is a seasoned politician with a significant base in Kasipul and Kabondo, areas crucial to Wanga’s 2027 math. Alienating his supporters could fracture the vote-rich county.

• The Risk: An impeachment trial is messy, divisive, and consumes months of political oxygen that should be spent on development.
• The Precedent: Similar fallouts in Siaya and Meru have shown that fighting a deputy often drags the Governor into the mud, stalling service delivery.
• The 2027 Factor: With the general election looming, a fractured ODM base in Homa Bay is a gift to opponents.

Service Delivery in the Crossfire

While the elephants fight, the grass—and the wananchi—suffer. The paralysis in the Agriculture docket, a critical sector for Homa Bay’s economy, is a direct blow to farmers. With the planting season approaching, uncertainty in leadership translates to delayed subsidies and stalled projects. For the average resident, this is not just palace intrigue; it is a question of livelihood.

Analysts warn that if the stalemate persists, the county risks grinding to a halt. “You cannot run a government where the number two is actively plotting against the number one, and the number one has locked the number two out of the building,” noted a local governance expert. As the dust settles on the by-election, the question remains: will Wanga pull the trigger on impeachment, or will she find a way to govern with a deputy who has already declared war?