What Next for Homa Bay DG Oyugi Magwanga After Supporting ODM Rivals In Kasipul By-elections?

Kenya, 30 November 2025 - The Kasipul by-election has left Homa Bay’s political landscape sharply divided, with Governor Gladys Wanga emerging triumphant while her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga, finds himself at a decisive crossroads.

Throughout the campaign, the two officeholders pulled in opposite directions: Wanga threw her full weight behind Boyd Were—the son of the late former MP Charles Were—while Magwanga openly supported Were’s main rival, Philip Aroko, insisting he was defending democracy and rejecting what he termed a flawed ODM nomination process.

Wanga, in contrast, mobilised the full machinery of the county executive to secure victory for the party’s candidate, reinforcing her authority both within ODM and the county’s political hierarchy.

Her win, coupled with the now-famous rebuke that “you cannot bite the hand that feeds you,” sent a direct message to internal dissenters.

But even as she basks in the glow of the win, the county’s top leadership is now more fractured than ever.

For Magwanga, the question of what comes next is both inevitable and urgent.

His decision to openly oppose the governor in an election so heavily watched has placed him in uncharted territory—politically exposed, symbolically weakened, but not without support.

The first major scenario now being debated across Homa Bay is the possibility of impeachment.

Constitutionally, MCAs can initiate the process if they believe the deputy governor has engaged in gross misconduct, and Magwanga’s public defiance could easily be framed that way by his detractors.

Wanga still holds considerable influence in the county assembly, and those loyal to her may feel this is an opportunity to discipline dissent and consolidate control ahead of 2027. Yet, the political cost of impeachment could be high.

ODM, which prides itself on democratic values, risks appearing intolerant by punishing a deputy governor simply for backing an alternative candidate. Furthermore, an impeachment battle could trigger public sympathy for Magwanga and create avoidable turbulence in a county that the party needs stable heading toward the next general election. For these reasons, impeachment, while possible, remains a risky and uncertain path.

The second scenario—one that many observers consider more realistic—is that Magwanga may choose to chart his own political path as 2027 approaches.