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Gladys Wanga, the governor of Homa Bay and a close ally of ODM Party leader Hon Raila Odinga, has positioned herself as one of Kenya’s most promising female governors. Her tenure has been marked by high-profile public relations campaigns, depicting her as a dedicated and transformative leader.
But that is just as far as it goes with revelations pointing to deep rots in the county’s financial systems that are well hidden through staged PR exercised.
According to reports verified by this writer, Wanga’s administration has been plagued by numerous financial irregularities.
Homabay Gov Hon Gladys Wanga
Allegations include significant mismanagement of public funds, especially concerning the Kigoto Maize Milling Plant and the county stadium, where expenditures vastly exceeded budgets without corresponding progress on the projects.
Nevertheless, despite these serious concerns, Wanga has been adept at using public relations to maintain her image and hide the fact that she oversees probably one of Kenya’s worst corruption empires.
Wanga frequently attends church events, aligns herself closely with Raila Odinga, and carefully avoids activities that might expose her to corruption allegations. This strategic approach has helped her deflect criticism and maintain public support.
Gov Wanga Attending a crucial meeting with President William Ruto in US
Instances of constitutional violations under Wanga’s administration are numerous as listed below.
Kigoto Milling Plant
The Kigoto Maize Milling Plant, for example, has seen millions of shillings disbursed with minimal accountability or tangible results.
County Stadium and Health Facilities
Similarly, the construction of the county stadium and health facilities has been riddled with financial discrepancies and delays, raising questions about the effective use of public resources.
Breach of Law in Compensation of Employees
The county’s wage bill stands at Kshs. 4,276,764,163, which is 52% of its total revenue, far exceeding the legally mandated limit of 35%.
Furthermore, Kshs. 8,104,029 was processed manually outside the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD) system, contravening national treasury regulations.
Pending Accounts Payable and Undisclosed Debts
Homa Bay County has pending accounts payable amounting to Kshs. 955,548,525, with Kshs. 882,328,436 carried over from the previous year in violation of financial regulations.
Other notable financial irregularities include the dubious payments to the Council of Governors, inaccurate transfers to the Homa Bay Municipality Board, and discrepancies in funds transferred from the County Revenue Fund (CRF).
These issues reflect a broader pattern of fiscal mismanagement and potential corruption that undermine the county’s development prospects.
Sadly, while Governor Wanga continues to project a façade of progress and development, the underlying financial mismanagement and constitutional violations suggest a deeply entrenched system of corruption in Homa Bay.
The cornered Wanga reliance on PR to mask these issues highlights the challenges of ensuring accountability and transparency in county governance.
Authorities have been called upon to stem on the rampant corruption in Homa Bay county overseen by Governor Wanga.
