Homa Bay County is now sailing through a profound political change after the official resignation of the Deputy Governor, Oyugi Magwanga. The message that shook the political scene in the region is the termination of Magwanga, who has served along with Governor Gladys Wanga.
The true reasons that led the Deputy Governor to make a sudden exit are, to some degree, shrouded in mystery, with the official announcements being only terse. Magwanga allegedly submitted his resignation letter on the day, saying he wanted to resign due to personal reasons in a position that was quite demanding in the county.
Nonetheless, political observers are already breaking down the move, citing that it may be a political undertaking with some currents. Being a veteran politician, Magwanga has played a significant role in the county administration since he took up office. His resignation has left a gap in the constitution which ought to be sealed as soon as possible by the executive.
The Governor is now supposed to nominate a successor, as per the County Government Act, which will be vetted and approved by the County Assembly, which will certainly take up the focus of local politics in the next several weeks. According to those sources who are close to the former Deputy Governor, this action could be a realignment of future political ambitions.
Locally, there is mounting speculation that Magwanga is making preparations to run for the highest county office in the future, which would potentially lead to a competitive gubernatorial contest during the next election cycle. Local leaders have also appealed to calm down and to have a smooth transition process so that the transfer of leadership structure does not affect development projects and administrative functions in Homa Bay County.
Governor Wanga is supposed to deliver to the people and the staff in the county about the way ahead for her administration. It is no exaggeration to say that this resignation represents the biggest political event of the year in Homa Bay, generating a degree of political attention that is fixated upon the short-term political outlook of this county.
