On 20 November 2018, Suba North MP Millie Mabona triggered a fresh political row after posting a sharp attack on Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga on Facebook.
In the post, Mabona said she “loves” Wanga but insisted she would not back what she described as ineffective and exploitative leadership, even when it comes from a woman. The message drew wide attention online and quickly became a talking point in Homa Bay politics.
The criticism came against a long-running rivalry inside ODM politics in Homa Bay. Mabona entered Parliament through an ODM nomination in 2008, while Wanga had won county office on her first attempt. The post was read by critics as part of a broader effort to undermine Wanga’s growing profile in the county.
The response to Mabona’s remarks also revisited her record in Suba North. Her critics accused her of having little to show for her years in office, including what they described as close to half a billion shillings spent through constituency development funds over five years without a major flagship project to point to.
The same criticism linked her to earlier internal ODM disputes. In 2014, the Kalausi faction was said to have used Mabona in attacks on Raila Odinga, and she was accused of continuing to strain party unity by picking fights with colleagues instead of strengthening the party.
Wanga, by contrast, was credited with building an economic empowerment programme for poor women in Homa Bay, including women from Suba. The article also said Raila Odinga had praised her work in improving the lives of women in the county.
Supporters of Wanga pointed to an Infotrak ranking that placed her as the leading Woman Representative in the National Assembly. The same pollster, according to the article, ranked Mabona 148th in approval ratings for MPs with just over 50 percent support.
Mabona also claimed Wanga would be the worst mistake Homa Bay could make in choosing a governor, even though Wanga had not publicly declared interest in the race. The article argued that the decision on any future governor would remain with voters in Homa Bay County, not Mabona.
The piece further said Mabona was undoing the constituency legacy of the late Otieno Kajwang, whose work in Mbita was described as strong and still fresh in the memory of residents. It concluded that Wanga had remained focused on her mandate, while Mabona was busy fighting imagined enemies on social media instead of delivering for Suba North.
