Wanga: Homa Bay roads expose decades of marginalisation, not failure of devolution

Nairobi, Kenya – Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has defended the county's development record in response to public concern over the poor condition of roads in Suba South. The dilapidated infrastructure, which Wanga attributes to decades of historical marginalisation, should not be seen as a failure of the devolved government, but rather as evidence of the infrastructure deficit that has hindered economic growth in the region.

Images of the dusty and rutted roads along the Mbita–Sindo–Kiabuya–Sori corridor, exposed during a recent tour by Linda Mwananchi, have drawn attention to this issue. Wanga argued that the poor roads affect every aspect of life in the affected communities, including access to markets, health services, and business expansion. She placed Homa Bay’s infrastructure challenges within the broader context of development inequalities in Kenya, citing several regions that have endured decades of underinvestment despite their population, resources, and potential.

The Mbita road, initially awarded in 2016 but only seven kilometres completed due to funding issues, serves as an example of stalled infrastructure projects. Wanga emphasised that such a major trunk road is beyond the capability of county governments or Constituency Development Funds, and falls under the responsibility of the national government.

While defending devolution as a mechanism to address historical disparities, Wanga stressed that counties now have greater authority and resources to determine their development priorities. She highlighted how devolution had shifted development decisions away from a centralised system and given marginalised regions a stronger voice in determining how public resources are spent.

Wanga also connected Homa Bay’s development struggles to the region's political history, referencing the legacy of former Cabinet minister Tom Mboya and former Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. The political exclusion and deaths of these leaders, she argued, interrupted potential pathways to greater national influence for the region.

Wanga urged the public not to dismiss the current infrastructure projects as mere political theatre, but rather to recognise Homa Bay's gradual emergence from a legacy of underdevelopment.