How the Wanga-Magwanga 2022 Pact Collapsed into a 2026 Resignation
On Thursday, February 26, 2026, the political marriage of convenience that governed Homa Bay for nearly four years officially ended in a “divorce” at a press conference in Oyugis Town. When Joseph Oyugi Magwanga announced his resignation as Deputy Governor, it wasn’t just a career move—it was the final nail in the coffin of a 2022 power-sharing agreement.
To understand why Magwanga quit today, one has to look back at the “Handshake” that started it all and the string of betrayals that followed.
The Original Sin: The 2022 Brokerage
In early 2022, Homa Bay was headed for a bloody primary battle between Gladys Wanga and Oyugi Magwanga. To save the ODM party from internal implosion, the late Raila Odinga intervened, persuading Magwanga to step down and serve as Wanga’s deputy.
The “Pact” was simple: Magwanga would bring his massive grassroots support in South Nyanza to the ticket, and in return, he would be a “Co-Governor,” complete with a cabinet docket (Agriculture) and a say in key appointments.
The Kasipul “Line in the Sand”
The relationship remained cordial on the surface until the November 2025 Kasipul by-election. When Magwanga chose to support an independent candidate over the ODM choice, he wasn’t just supporting a friend—he was asserting his independence from a Governor he felt had sidelined him.
The reaction from the Governor’s mansion was an all-out purge:
The Sacking: Wanga immediately stripped Magwanga of his Agriculture docket.
The Lockout: By December 2025, Magwanga’s staff found their office locks changed.
The “Bewitched” Narrative: In January 2026, Magwanga famously refused to move into a new office at the county headquarters, claiming it had been “spiritually compromised” (bewitched) by his rivals.
The 2026 Resignation: A Calculated Exit
By the time Magwanga stood before the cameras today, he was a Deputy Governor in name only. With no office, no official vehicles, and no logistical support, his resignation was a strategic move to stop being a “spectator” in his own government.
“I refused to be a flower girl,” Magwanga told reporters. “I cannot continue to draw a salary from the public while the Governor treats the office of the Deputy like a private kiosk.”
The Impact on the ODM Party
As the ODM National Chairperson, Gladys Wanga now faces the challenge of holding the county together without its most influential grassroots mobilizer. Magwanga’s exit signals that the “consensus model” of 2022 has failed.
For the people of Homa Bay, the resignation marks the end of an era of forced unity and the beginning of a fierce, two-year campaign season. The “Handshake” is dead; the “Battle Royal” has begun.
