Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has proposed that the ODM party secure a deputy president slot for former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho in any potential 2027 political alliance with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration. Addressing an ODM youth convention in Malindi on Sunday, Wanga argued that the party should approach any future dialogue as an equal partner, demanding a 50-50 split of government power.
“If we enter talks, we will enter as equal partners. Everything must be put on the table – it will be fifty-fifty. If they have the president, ODM will have the deputy president,” Wanga declared. She insisted that the party would not enter negotiations with a submissive attitude, noting that once they secure the deputy presidency, they must also aggressively lobby for other high-ranking positions and roles.
“And once we get that, we won’t just walk in quietly like people begging. We will go in firmly and negotiate properly and say, “We have this number of Cabinet slots, and we have the Deputy President position; is Joho good enough or not?” she posed.
Despite her push for cooperation, Wanga drew a firm line regarding who the party would consider allies. She took aim at political rivals by stating that ODM refuses to engage with anyone linked to land grabbing, a topic she described as deeply sensitive for residents of the Coast region.
“We also cannot hold talks with those people whom we know have a record of grabbing land. Because here at the Coast, our father fought for land issues,” she stated. She specifically called out former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his political circle, claiming they carry such a record and are therefore unfit for partnership.
