Kajwang Asks Wanga To Reflect After Homa Bay Deputy Governor Resigns

By Our Correspondent

Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang has weighed in on the resignation of Deputy Governor Joseph Oyugi Magwanga, urging Governor Gladys Wanga to reflect on the issues that led to the split.

Magwanga resigned on Thursday. In a statement issued the following day, Governor Wanga formally accepted the resignation and declared the office vacant with immediate effect.

“I acknowledge receipt of a letter dated 26th February 2026 from the Deputy Governor tendering resignation from office with immediate effect. I have today formally accepted the said resignation,” Wanga said.

Wanga noted that before the 2022 General Election, Magwanga had been a gubernatorial aspirant. She said the Orange Democratic Movement requested him to accept the running mate position in the interest of party unity.

Upon assuming office, she said, the administration fulfilled the deputy governor’s constitutional role and assigned him the additional portfolio of County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture and Livestock Development.

The governor said Magwanga’s resignation letter cited “persistent and irreconcilable differences.” However, she added that sustained focus on future political ambitions had increasingly compromised the collective focus required in the office.

“It is also in 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 said.

She maintained that county operations would proceed seamlessly and that service delivery remained uninterrupted. The vacancy, she said, would be addressed in accordance with the law.

Senator Kajwang described the resignation as regrettable, recalling that the Wanga–Magwanga ticket was crafted in 2022 by ODM leader Raila Odinga as a union of rivals meant to usher in a new era of hope.

He said he played a central role in uniting the team as campaign chair, expressing disappointment at what he termed a political divorce.

“I also encourage Governor Wanga to critically reflect on the reasons that led to divorce. If substantive issues are not resolved, the same fate could befall the next Deputy Governor,” Kajwang said.

The senator thanked Magwanga for his service and urged leaders from Homa Bay to invest in an efficient, people-focused government, saying the people must come first.

In his resignation letter, Magwanga said he had stepped down after deep reflection and consultations. He cited strained relations and an inability to effectively discharge his mandate.

“The resignation letter cites persistent and irreconcilable differences,” he said, maintaining that his decision was informed by the need to protect the integrity of the office.

Magwanga’s exit marks a dramatic end to a partnership that brought together former rivals under the ODM banner in 2022, but had in recent months shown visible signs of strain.