Tensions reached a boiling point in Homa Bay today as Governor Gladys Wanga dropped a political bombshell, accusing the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of being complicit—directly or indirectly—in the brutal assassination of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were.
Speaking with unfiltered rage at the late MP’s home in Kachien, Central Kasipul, Wanga, who also chairs the ODM party nationally, tore into UDA and its alleged silent war in the Nyanza region.
“We didn’t sign up to work with UDA for the assassination of our members. If someone else killed Were, then tell us—WHO?” she demanded, as hundreds of mourners and political leaders listened in stunned silence.
Wanga categorically distanced the Nyanza region from UDA politics, warning that attempts to infiltrate or destabilize the region’s solid ODM base would be met with stiff resistance.
“Nyanza is an ODM zone. Any attempt by UDA to meddle in our political affairs is a threat to national stability. We will not accept it. We will not tolerate it!” she thundered.
She also linked a wave of disinformation in the media to a sinister campaign designed to obscure the truth behind MP Were’s murder.
“The lies in the media are not a coincidence. It’s orchestrated. It’s funded. It’s meant to cover up a political killing,” she charged.
Wanga further directed her fury at the Inspector General of Police, demanding immediate answers and transparency in the murder investigation.
“We are not going to be silent, and Inspector General of Police, you are not going anywhere until you provide answers. And we do not want cover-ups, we want to know the truth—not stories,” she added, drawing applause from the charged crowd.
On his part, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi echoed her sentiments, declaring that the killing was not random but a “calculated political assassination.”
“President Ruto is following this closely. Those involved in political violence must know—there will be consequences. Stop it, or face the full wrath of the law,” Mbadi warned.
The remarks come at a time when the nation is gripped with anxiety over increasing political violence and a growing sense of impunity. As calls for justice rise, the spotlight is now firmly on UDA operatives, with Kenyans demanding full transparency and accountability.
