Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has hit back at critics after the Linda Mwananchi movement’s tour of the county drew attention to the poor condition of roads along the Mbita, Sindo, Kiabuya and Sori corridor.
Images showing dusty and badly graded roads circulated widely during the political tour, with leaders using the state of the roads to question the level of infrastructure development in Homa Bay.
In a lengthy statement shared on X on Monday, August 17, 2026, Wanga cautioned against using the condition of the roads to ridicule Homa Bay residents, arguing that the situation reflected years of underdevelopment and delayed investment.
“The dust on the Mbita–Sindo–Kiabuya–Sori corridor tells a story,” Wanga said.
“But it is not the story of a people who have failed. It is the story of a region that has waited far too long for the infrastructure required to unlock its potential.”
Wanga Blames Decades of Neglect
The governor said Homa Bay’s infrastructure challenges did not begin with the current administration, arguing that successive national governments had failed to adequately address the county’s road network since independence.
“Homa Bay has lived with this reality for decades,” Wanga said.
She described the situation as part of a wider pattern of economic marginalisation affecting several regions of the country, saying inadequate infrastructure had limited the county’s ability to fully exploit its economic potential.
Wanga cited the Mbita road as an example, saying the 74-kilometre project was initially awarded in 2016 during the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to the governor, only seven kilometres were completed before the project stalled because of funding challenges.
She said the road was subsequently re-awarded in 2020, with 28 kilometres having been tarmacked over the past two years while construction continues.
The governor further argued that projects of such scale cannot be undertaken using county resources or the Constituency Development Fund, placing responsibility for major trunk roads on the national government.
Wanga’s response comes amid heightened political competition in Homa Bay, where the rivalry between ODM’s mainstream leadership and the Linda Mwananchi movement has intensified ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The road conditions highlighted during the Linda Mwananchi tour have consequently become part of the wider political debate over development, accountability and the future direction of Nyanza politics.
