Governor Wanga Declares Deputy’s Seat Vacant After Magwanga’s Resignation

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has formally accepted the resignation of her Deputy, Oyugi Magwanga—bringing to a close a partnership once forged in hope, now fractured by irreconcilable differences.

“I acknowledge receipt of a letter dated 26th February 2026 from the Deputy Governor tendering resignation from office with immediate effect. I have today accepted the resignation,” Wanga stated in her official release dated February 27.

The Governor’s office cited a sustained preoccupation with future political ambitions which increasingly compromised the collective focus required in the Office of the Deputy Governor.

She invoked constitutional and statutory provisions to declare the office vacant:

“I hereby declare The Office Of The Deputy Governor, Homa Bay County, vacant with effect from 26th February, 2026.”

But Magwanga’s departure was not quiet. In a press briefing, he painted a picture of systematic obstruction, alleging that his exit was not merely political, it was engineered.

“I accepted the honor of serving as the running mate to Her Excellency Gladys Atieno Wanga after consultations presided over by the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga,” he recalled.

“Following our electoral victory, I was sworn in with a solemn commitment to serve the people of Homa Bay County faithfully, diligently, and in full obedience to the Constitution of Kenya,” he added.

That commitment, he claimed, was undermined beginning December 2025:

“I was denied access to my official office after the locks were changed without formal communication. I was consequently compelled to seek an early annual leave under circumstances that were not voluntary.”

The frustrations extended to logistics. Magwanga described how his official vehicle was repossessed mid-duty in Nairobi, and the remaining county vehicle was unserviceable. Fuel and operational support were withdrawn, rendering his office “functionally inoperative.”

The rift, however, appears to have deepened during the November 2025 Kasipul parliamentary by-election. While Wanga, as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Chairperson, backed the party’s candidate Boyd Were, Magwanga publicly supported independent candidate Philip Aroko.

“It is also in the public record that he opposed the ODM candidate in the Kasipul by-election. This decision raised legitimate concerns about the unity of purpose and commitment to our shared mandate,” Wanga wrote.

With Magwanga declaring his intention to run for governor in 2027, Homa Bay enters a new political chapter.

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