Corruption in county governments has become one of the biggest obstacles to development in Kenya, with Homa Bay County offering a sharp example of how deep the problem runs.
Billions of shillings that should be helping the people end up lost through ghost workers, inflated contracts, and jobs handed out to friends and relatives instead of qualified professionals. Instead of devolution being a system that uplifts citizens, it has turned into a way for politicians and their networks to enrich themselves at the expense of the public.
Governor Gladys Wanga has been at the center of criticism in the Nyanza region, with many accusing her of mismanaging funds and running a county where money goes into wasteful events instead of lasting projects.
Even with budgets as low as 10 million shillings, projects fail to be completed, raising questions about how resources are being used.
Homa Bay continues to lag behind in development, with poor infrastructure and struggling hospitals, despite the county receiving 12 billion shillings from the national government.
Out of that, about 35% should go directly to development projects, but a huge share is swallowed by recurrent expenditure or disappears without accountability.
Raila Odinga has also been tied to this network of misuse of county funds. Though he has built his public image as a fighter against corruption, critics say he shields ODM governors from scrutiny and benefits from their loyalty.
His strong control over counties in Nyanza has created a system where money disappears through inflated projects while party leaders look the other way. A glaring case is the Homa Bay county headquarters, whose cost ballooned from the initial 520 million shillings to 920 million shillings without proper explanation for the 400 million increase.
Such cases expose how public money is siphoned under the guise of development.
Francis Gaitho, a commentator and parliamentary aspirant, has been one of the loudest voices pointing out these issues.
On X, formerly Twitter, he has branded Wanga as a thief who pays off Raila to remain untouchable. He has also accused Raila of living off corrupt handouts from ODM governors, calling devolution under ODM leadership a scam.
Gaitho has highlighted unfinished road projects in Suba district and blamed both Wanga and Raila for looting public funds while ordinary people continue to suffer from poor services.
He has linked this pattern to past national alliances Raila has made, which have often resulted in higher taxes and heavier burdens on citizens while little accountability followed.
This problem is not unique to Homa Bay. Across other ODM strongholds like Siaya, audits have shown similar cases of fraud and misuse of money. It has become clear that party machinery is often used to protect governors rather than hold them accountable.
Citizens are the ones who continue to suffer without proper healthcare, decent schools, or reliable roads. However, frustration is growing, and demands for proper audits and asset recovery are becoming louder. With public anger rising, leaders who have turned devolution into a tool for personal wealth could face a serious backlash.
For figures like Wanga and Raila, the shield of party loyalty might not hold forever as Kenyans begin to demand answers and justice for the years of betrayal.
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