Residents of Homa Bay County are growing frustrated as the gap between government priorities and public needs becomes more obvious.
The new governor’s office stands tall and modern, with glass walls, paved grounds, and flags waving proudly, drawing praise from President William Ruto. Meanwhile, schools like Kodido Primary remain in terrible condition, with rusty iron sheet classrooms, dirt floors, and broken walls, leaving children to study in unsafe and uncomfortable spaces.
Many feel Governor Gladys Wanga is more focused on flashy projects than the real issues affecting ordinary people.
Wanga has often spoken about transforming Homa Bay into a city comparable to Cape Town, with big plans for tourism, hotels, and urban development along the lakefront. Yet while these dreams are celebrated, basic education suffers.
At Kodido, classrooms leak, blackboards are damaged, and learning is hampered. Parents and teachers blame the poor conditions for low student performance, arguing that no amount of fancy offices can replace proper schools.
Last year, Wanga launched the “Genowa Ondoa Kaunda Classrooms” program, promising 240 new classrooms across the county. Despite this, Kodido Primary School shows little improvement, raising doubts about whether the initiative is being implemented properly or is mostly for show.
While primary education is mainly a national government responsibility, county leaders often intervene to support infrastructure, yet Wanga appears to prefer investing in her headquarters over children’s classrooms.
The issue drew attention after side-by-side images of the governor’s office and Kodido circulated on Facebook. Cyprian Is Nyakundi’s post received thousands of reactions, with many calling out the lack of leadership and the unfairness of prioritizing luxury over basic services.
Homa Bay has enormous potential, particularly with Lake Victoria, but without investing in education, such ambitions are meaningless.
Wanga, who rose from a humble background to become the first woman governor in the region, seems disconnected from the struggles of residents who elected her.
Calls are growing for immediate action. People want Wanga to visit Kodido, use county funds to fix classrooms, provide desks, and support teachers.
Education is key to lifting communities, but under her leadership, it seems sidelined.
While the governor’s office shines, the county’s children continue to suffer, and unless priorities change, Wanga’s vision of a modern Homa Bay risks being remembered as empty promises that favor appearances over real progress.
