Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has accused Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma and other local political leaders of being responsible for the violence that disrupted the Linda Mwananchi movement’s rallies in Homa Bay on Sunday, August 16, 2026. Omondi alleged that the violence was politically organised to protect President William Ruto and the interests of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) in Homa Bay, one of the party’s traditional political strongholds. However, the accusations remain allegations and there is no independent evidence establishing that Wanga, Kaluma or other named leaders planned, financed or directed the attacks. The accusations followed a tense day in Homa Bay during which the Linda Mwananchi convoy encountered groups of youths as it travelled through different parts of the county ahead of a planned rally in Homa Bay Town.
Police were deployed along key routes, and officers used tear gas in Ndhiwa after a group reportedly attempted to block the convoy. The Standard also reported that the convoy led by Linda Mwananchi figures came under attack in Nyandiwa, with police intervening after youths allegedly pelted the vehicles with stones. The violence was not limited to political supporters. The Standard reported that AFP correspondent Fred Ooko was assaulted and robbed of his camera and driving licence while covering the events in Homa Bay Town. The publication also reported running battles involving youths and a heavy police presence in the town.
Omondi, a leading figure in the Linda Mwananchi movement, framed the violence as part of a wider political contest over the future of Homa Bay and the broader Nyanza region. According to reports of his remarks, the MP accused local leaders of coordinating the confrontation as part of efforts to protect the political interests of Ruto and the current ODM leadership. Those accusations come against the backdrop of an increasingly visible political disagreement between the Linda Mwananchi movement and a section of ODM leaders in Homa Bay.
The movement, which includes Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Omondi, has been touring different parts of the country while seeking to build political support ahead of the 2027 General Election. Homa Bay was one of its latest destinations. The movement’s arrival in Homa Bay has exposed a deeper political contest over the county’s traditionally strong ODM support base, particularly following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Before the rally, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma publicly criticised the Linda Mwananchi campaign and its “Wantam” messaging. Kaluma urged residents to consider development projects undertaken by the Ruto administration and questioned the movement’s political campaign in the county. He described the Wantam slogans as “useless” and argued that Homa Bay should consider what it had gained from the current administration.
Kaluma’s public opposition to the movement has since become part of the political dispute surrounding the rally. However, his criticism of Linda Mwananchi does not, on its own, establish that he was involved in organising the violence. Parliamentary records also show that Kaluma has previously defended the broad-based arrangement between ODM and President Ruto’s administration. In a June 2025 parliamentary debate, he described himself as a strong supporter of the agreement between ODM and UDA. Governor Gladys Wanga, who also serves as ODM national chairperson, has been involved in the political contest surrounding the movement but has publicly taken a different position on the rally.
Media reports indicate that Wanga had called for political tolerance and defended the right of politicians to campaign across the country.
“As ODM, we have always been fighters for all freedoms, including the freedom for anyone to tour any place. Anybody is free to come and sell whatever they want in any part of this country,” Wanga was quoted as saying.
On August 16, the day of the Linda Mwananchi rallies, Wanga was reported to have attended a church service in Kisumu alongside Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi. The security concerns surrounding the rally began before the Linda Mwananchi team reached Homa Bay town. Police reported the arrest of two youths and the seizure of five pangas near Wiobiero High School along the Sori-Rodi Kopany road. The suspects were allegedly travelling from Ndhiwa towards Homa Bay town.
The Standard separately reported the arrest of three men allegedly carrying crude weapons ahead of the rally and described heightened security measures along roads leading into Homa Bay. During the movement’s journey through the county, police were also seen escorting the convoy and stopping and searching vehicles approaching Homa Bay town. Several businesses remained closed as tensions rose and residents kept away from some markets. These incidents provide independent evidence that security tensions and confrontations occurred around the rally, but they do not by themselves establish who organised the violence.
Homa Bay has historically been one of ODM’s strongest political bases and remains an important part of the political landscape in Nyanza. With the 2027 election approaching, rival political groups are increasingly seeking to establish themselves in the region. The Linda Mwananchi movement has been presenting itself as a political alternative while challenging what its leaders view as ODM’s increasingly close relationship with the Ruto administration. At the same time, ODM leaders in the region have defended their political position and pointed to government development projects under the broad-based arrangement between ODM and UDA. The resulting contest has made Homa Bay a particularly sensitive political battleground.
Omondi has also criticised what he described as the failure of the national government to adequately address the violence and questioned President Ruto’s response to the events. His criticism comes as opposition-linked leaders continue to demand that security agencies protect political gatherings regardless of the organisers’ political affiliation. The broader issue is whether political groups will be able to campaign freely across the country ahead of the 2027 General Election without intimidation or violence.
The confrontation has nevertheless added to growing political tensions in Homa Bay and is likely to intensify scrutiny of political mobilisation, security arrangements and the competition for influence in Nyanza as Kenya moves closer to the 2027 General Election.