Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo have opened a new political front in Homa Bay, with the two leaders trading warnings as divisions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) deepen ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Odhiambo on Tuesday warned Wanga against what she described as attempts to undermine her political activities in her constituency, saying she would confront the governor if the alleged attacks continued.
“Gladys Wanga, I love you. You are a tough and brave woman, just like me. If you attack or confront me, as you always do, I will confront you back. I am not afraid,” Odhiambo said.
The Suba South MP said she respected Wanga as a fellow woman leader and as ODM national chairperson, but cautioned that the respect should not be mistaken for fear.
Odhiambo also accused the governor of sending people to undermine her political activities, allegations that have not been independently established. She said she had supported Wanga politically but warned that she would respond if the alleged interference continued.
The exchange adds to the political tensions in Homa Bay, where competing positions over ODM's relationship with President William Ruto's administration have increasingly come to the fore.
Wanga has emerged as one of the strongest voices defending the broad-based arrangement between ODM and Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA), while Odhiambo has publicly challenged political leaders to win support through their ideas rather than confrontation.
During Ruto's recent tour of Nyanza, Wanga and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed criticised the opposition, questioning its cohesion and whether it had a clear political agenda.
Wanga has also argued that ODM should negotiate from a position of strength in any future political arrangement with Ruto. She has previously said the party expects a substantial share of government and has discussed the Deputy President's position as part of the negotiations.
Her position has placed her at the centre of the debate over the political direction of ODM following the death of party leader Raila Odinga.
The dispute with Odhiambo now brings that broader contest into Homa Bay politics.
Odhiambo has previously criticised political violence and urged leaders in the broad-based government to campaign through policies and ideology.
“We can only win by speaking our ideologies, not by beating people,” she said in August while condemning the attack on members of the Linda Mwananchi team in Homa Bay. She also criticised attacks on journalists covering political events.
Her latest warning comes as politicians in the county position themselves for the 2027 contest and as questions grow over who will control the political machinery in a region that has traditionally been a key ODM stronghold.
Wanga, meanwhile, has continued to defend her political partnership with the national government while maintaining that the arrangement is delivering development projects to Nyanza.
