Gladys Wanga Signals Tough Leadership with Dreadlocks and Gloves Amid Deputy Fallout
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has announced a dramatic shift in her leadership approach as she moves to clamp down on what she describes as disloyalty and internal sabotage within her administration.
Speaking during a burial ceremony in Homa Bay Town Constituency, the governor—who has faced growing tensions with senior county officials including her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga—said she would now adopt a firmer, more assertive posture to restore discipline and focus in the county government.
The fallout between Wanga and her deputy follows the highly contested Kasipul by-election, which exposed deep political rifts within her team. According to the governor, several officials entrusted with key roles in her administration have been actively undermining her leadership instead of delivering services to the public.
Wanga told residents she had endured a difficult and demanding campaign to win the governorship in 2022 and would not allow individuals within her team to “rock the government from within.”
“I went out of my way and walked in villages across this county to ensure I became governor,” she said. “It is unfortunate that some people I gave jobs to serve in this government don’t want to be faithful in service delivery.”
In a surprising moment that drew reactions from those in attendance, Wanga stated that she intended to adopt dreadlocks and wear gloves—symbolic gestures, she said, of a tougher and more uncompromising leadership style.
“I tell people who are not satisfied with my government that it is ideal for them to resign and do other things elsewhere,” she told the crowd. “But now, I am going to make dreadlocks on my hair and kick them out of my government and bring those who want to serve the people.”
Wanga also asked residents to prepare to submit names of individuals who could replace those she plans to dismiss.
“I am going to start walking in villages to ask you for the right names for replacement. Be ready to give me names when I begin making the changes,” she said, vowing that she would not entertain attempts to destabilise her administration. “I went out of my way to win this seat. I will not allow anybody to mess me up.”
Her remarks come as the first casualties of her shake-up begin to emerge. Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga has already been stripped of his role as County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture—a move widely interpreted as part of the escalating rift between the two leaders.
In addition, Wanga has dismissed Peter Ogola, the CECM for Lands and Housing, who is known to be a close ally of Magwanga. Their removal signals the start of what insiders describe as a broader restructuring of the county executive, with more changes expected in the coming days.
The governor’s unusually candid and forceful address underscores the scale of political turbulence within the Homa Bay administration, as she prepares for what appears to be one of the most significant internal purges of her tenure.
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Gladys Wanga Signals Tough Leadership with Dreadlocks and Gloves Amid Deputy Fallout