Enough is enough: Northern Kakamega plots county takeover in vicious power battle

With tangible development remaining elusive in the upper northern part of Kakamega County, the residents have resolved to front one of their own to vie for the county’s top seat.

Calls have been echoing in the air as locals cry foul over stagnated development projects from Navakholo to Likuyani, as the current leadership continues to invest heavily in the western part of the county, including Mumias East, Mumias West, Butere, Matungu and Khwisero sub-counties, with various multi-million projects being launched while others are already completed and operational.

It is on this note that the residents have expressed a lack of faith in the current administration led by Governor Fernandes Barasa, promising to vote him out as a one-term leader come 2027.

For 15 years since devolution, the upper western region has suffered and lagged behind in terms of development.

To make matters worse, the only deputy governor who worked tirelessly with the first governor, Wycliffe Oparanya, was humiliated and dismissed by his boss as a weak candidate who could not head the county, despite deputising and managing county affairs as it embraced devolution.

The move by Oparanya to denounce his loyal deputy, Professor Philip Kutima, in favour of his own “son of the soil”, Fernandes Barasa, did not resonate well with residents of the upper western region.

When Barasa was sworn in, he picked Ayub Savula as his deputy, and the rest is history.

The push by locals to have their own candidate run for the gubernatorial position has been long in the making, after failing to find a suitable candidate until the emergence of Dr Beatrice Inyangala.

Dr Betty Inyangala is the current Principal Secretary in the State Department for Higher Education and Research in President William Ruto’s administration, having been the running mate to Cleophas Malala in the last elections when they vied for the Kakamega gubernatorial seat.

The seat was, however, won by Barasa, who has been both criticised and praised in equal measure over what is perceived as stagnated development in the northern part of the county.

Kakamega County has 13 sub-counties, namely Malava, Matete, Lugari, Likuyani, Navakholo, Lurambi, Shinyalu, Ikolomani, Mumias East, Mumias West, Khwisero, Matungu and Butere, with an approximate population of 1,867,579 according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, comprising 897,133 males and 970,406 females.

The 13 sub-counties have varying populations, with Malava being the largest at 205,166, followed by Lurambi (160,229), Shinyalu (159,475), Likuyani (152,055), Matungu (146,563), Butere (139,780), Navakholo (137,165), Lugari (122,728), Ikolomani (117,743), Khwisero (113,294), Mumias West (111,862), Mumias East (100,956), and Matete (66,172).

The lack of development in the northern part of the county has been perceived as political sabotage, as many voters from these sub-counties supported the Cleophas–Beatrice ticket. Consequently, both Oparanya and Barasa are seen to have sidelined the region in terms of development.

It is on this note that locals are pushing for the PS for Higher Education to take a stab at the gubernatorial position, pledging their full support to see her win the seat.

They have made it clear that the upper western region, which is densely populated and has lagged behind in development, has been discriminated against by the two regimes, and now it is time to front one of their own to foster programmes that will open up the sub-counties to more investment and development.

Dr Inyangala, who hails from Malava, is an educationist of high calibre.

Dr Beatrice Muganda Inyangala is the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Education, Kenya.

Dr Inyangala holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Geography, and a Master’s degree in Planning and Economics of Education. She earned her doctorate at the age of 33 and has served in several institutions, including Moi University, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, and Mombasa Technical Training Institute. She has also served at the Commission for University Education as a Planning Officer in charge of research.

She further participated in developing a medium-term plan for education and a policy on accelerated university intake when President William Ruto was the Cabinet Secretary for Education.

This has shaped her political appeal and led residents to front her as an ideal candidate to deliver the much-awaited development in the sub-counties.

Her contribution towards transforming the education sector in the country has been vital and on point.
As the two leaders, Fernandez Barasa and Women Representative Elsie Muhanda, remain embroiled in verbal exchanges, Dr Inyangala stands out as a professional, clean and straightforward politician who may be acceptable across the political divide as a formidable leader to steer the county forward.

As 2027 approaches, voters, especially from the upper side of the county (Malava, Navakholo, Matete, Lugari and Likuyani), have been urged to demonstrate their political strength by electing their own leader, noting that the lower side, which has already enjoyed power, will likely rally behind Barasa for a second term before fronting a new candidate in the 2032 polls.

The female electorate is also expected to rally behind one of their own, which works in her favour as a candidate.

Her election as the third governor, and the first female in the position, would revitalise the county, with hopes that mismanagement of county funds will become a thing of the past.

As the clock ticks, residents continue to rally behind Dr Inyangala as their preferred candidate, hopeful for better days under her leadership.