Sifuna mocks Homa Bay leaders over ‘shiny’ development narrative

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s visit to Homa Bay on Sunday, August 16, 2026, placed the county’s development record at the centre of political debate after he shared a photograph showing him covered in dust during the Linda Mwananchi mobilisation tour.

Sifuna accompanied the photograph with a pointed message on X: “Bwana walisema huku Homabay ndio kuna shiny things kumbe ni ukora tu…dust is constant.”

The post came after the Linda Mwananchi convoy encountered blocked roads and was forced to use alternative routes, including rough and dusty tracks, while travelling to rally venues in Nyandiwa and other parts of the county.

The disruptions occurred amid heightened political activity as Sifuna and his allies sought to expand the movement’s presence into Nyanza, traditionally associated with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Roads at centre of development debate

Homa Bay has received significant investment in road infrastructure from both the national and county governments.

National government investments through the Kenya National Highways Authority and related agencies between 2023 and 2026 are estimated at about Ksh 27.9 billion, covering roughly 515 kilometres.

Major projects include the 74-kilometre Mbita-Sindo-Kiabuya-Karungu (Sori) road, which is being upgraded to bitumen standards at about Ksh 2.9 billion, and the 19-kilometre Rusinga Island Ring Road, which is expected to become the island’s first tarmac road.

Other works include sections of the Homa Bay Town dual carriageway and the 67-kilometre Kadel corridor. Several of the projects remain under construction, with progress differing from one section to another.

At the county level, Governor Gladys Wanga reported in her 2026 State of the County Address that her administration had opened 736 kilometres of new roads, maintained 538 kilometres and rehabilitated 116 kilometres of access roads. But Sifuna reads otherwise.

“Walituambia hapa Homa Bay kwa sababu mko ndani ya broad-based, barabara zote zimewekwa lami. Tumekula vumbi leo, tumekula vumbi sawasawa. Wakati watu wa Ol Kalou wanapewa vitu mzurimzuri, kila mtu anatoka na mtungi ya gas, nyinyi mnakula vumbi kama sisi kule Western. Hakuna tofauti yoyote mmeona ndani ya hii serikali,” the senator said.

Political contest enters Nyanza

The development debate comes against the backdrop of growing political competition in Homa Bay ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement has been conducting mobilisation activities in different parts of the country, including Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Kakamega and Busia, before moving into Homa Bay.

The movement’s entry into the county has coincided with tensions along some sections of the route. Roads were blocked with stones, logs and other materials, while bonfires and burning tyres were reported at different points.

Police deployed officers along the route and used tear gas in Ndhiwa after a group attempted to block the motorcade.

The incidents provided the backdrop to Sifuna’s post, which focused attention on the contrast between development claims and the conditions encountered by the convoy.

County development record faces scrutiny

Wanga has defended her administration’s development record, saying projects have been implemented across all 40 wards in areas including roads, water, health and markets.

She reported that 280 kilometres of new roads were opened during the 2024/25 financial year.

The competing narratives place official development figures against the everyday experience of residents and road users, particularly in areas where major infrastructure projects remain incomplete.

For Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi team, the dusty routes encountered during Sunday’s mobilisation became part of a wider political message about development delivery.

For the county and national governments, ongoing road projects and reported kilometres of completed and rehabilitated roads form part of their development record.

The debate is likely to remain part of the political contest in Homa Bay as parties and movements position themselves ahead of the 2027 polls.