“Political Earthquake in Homa Bay: Governor Wanga Strips Deputy Magwanga of Power in Dramatic Shake-Up”

 

 A political storm is sweeping through Homa Bay County after Governor Gladys Wanga executed a dramatic reshuffle that saw her deputy, Joseph Oyugi Magwanga, stripped of the Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Development docket — one of the most powerful portfolios in the county.

The governor’s move, announced in a decisive Monday reshuffle, also sent home Magwanga’s close ally, Peter Ogolla, who was heading the Lands and Housing docket. The dual ouster has ignited speculation of a deepening political rift within the county’s top leadership.

Sources inside the county administration describe the changes as “a calculated political strike,” coming just weeks after a heated Kasipul by-election in which Magwanga openly backed an independent candidate against the governor’s preferred choice. The defiance reportedly angered key players in ODM and triggered a push for disciplinary action.

In the reshuffle, the Roads CECM, Danish Onyango, was appointed to act in Magwanga’s former role — a clear signal from the governor that she is reasserting control over her executive. Ogolla was replaced by Joseph Mitito, whose appointment now awaits vetting by the County Assembly.

While the deputy governor remains constitutionally protected from outright dismissal without a formal impeachment process, being stripped of executive authority leaves him politically exposed and increasingly isolated. Insiders say Magwanga has been facing mounting pressure to resign — pressure that is likely to intensify after this latest shake-up.

“This was the moment everyone saw coming,” said a senior county official. “Once he defied the party line during the by-election, his fate was sealed.”

For Governor Wanga, the reshuffle may be an attempt to restore loyalty and discipline within her administration. For Magwanga, it marks the beginning of an uncertain political chapter — one shadowed by humiliation, shrinking influence, and a future now hanging by a thread.

The county waits to see whether the embattled deputy governor will fight back — or bow out.