Homa Bay road that stole the show: Inside Nyandiwa development debate

But beyond those familiar images lies another Homa Bay, one that residents know all too well but rarely have the opportunity to show the world. It is the road from Kiabuya Trading Center to Nyandiwa beach.

As Kenyans watched the Linda Mwananchi rally on their phones and laptops, they were not only listening to the speeches. They were also paying attention to the surroundings in areas visited by Governor James Orengo, Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino.

One particular area caught the attention of social media users across the county and beyond: the road to Nyandiwa, where the first rally was held.

Its dusty and dilapidated condition earned it new unflattering nicknames, with some likening it to Yemen or Gaza.

Kenyans took screenshots from live videos showing sections of the road in Suba South and shared the images across social media, accompanied by a range of observations and reactions.

One widely circulated photograph showed Lake Victoria in the distance, with the surrounding landscape appearing largely bare and devoid of trees. Some social media users jokingly referred to the scene as the ‘Starting of Hormuz’.

Others focused on the absence of electricity poles along parts of the road and its visibly poor condition.

"Stop cheating people"

While some compared the landscape to countries in the Middle East and accused Homa Bay’s leadership of laxity, others said the state of the roads was a painful reminder of years of marginalisation under successive governments.

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo acknowledged that most roads in her constituency and Suba South are in poor condition.

“Let us stop cheating people by saying those are feeder roads and that the main roads were barricaded. What you see, other than Homa Bay to Mbita and Rusinga Ring Road, are the main roads. President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila tarmacked Homa Bay Town to Mbita Town. President Uhuru Kenyatta built the Mbita bridge,” she wrote on her Facebook page.

The legislator defended the performance of President William Ruto, saying his administration had tarmacked the Rusinga Ring Road and opened the Mfangano Ring Road, whose tarmacking is set to begin.

“He has earmarked a few others to be done, including the Sindo-Mbito Road. CS Mbadi recently launched two in my constituency, one of which is the one being used now,” Ms Odhiambo said.

The MP said the region had endured years of marginalisation and called for greater government services and investment.

She said the region deserved to develop at the same pace as other parts of the country.

“Sugar-coating it by calling the bad roads feeder roads will stop the government from prioritising these roads. The world has made enough mockery of us today, calling us Afghanistan and all. It is time this ended,” Ms Odhiambo said.

The images also caught the attention of Governor Gladys Wanga.

She said the poor state of roads in some parts of the county was partly the result of ODM’s former position as an opposition party, which she said had contributed to the region’s marginalisation.

“I have seen them laughing at us that Homa Bay looks like Yemen because of the nature of the roads in Suba. They don’t understand the pain we are feeling. We have been voting in the past years but all developments are being sidelined,” Ms Wanga said.

"We'll fix it"

She attributed the marginalisation to several factors, including the party’s decision to fight for the rights and democracy of all Kenyans, as well as the push for a new Constitution and devolution.

Ms Wanga assured residents that the road would be fixed. She announced that plans were already under way to improve the road and bring an end to the dust that has now become a symbol of the region’s long-standing infrastructure woes.

“We are now in broad-based and the road in Suba will be fixed under the Lake Victoria ring road project. CS Mbadi has appended a signature to make it better,” the governor said.

The road became a talking point when Linda Mwananchi members arrived in Sindo.

Mr Sifuna sarcastically observed that its condition should not have been so deplorable, given that it is only a few kilometres from the home of Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi.

“We were told that because you support the broad-based government, all roads are tarmacked. Tumekula vumbi leo. Tumekula vumbi sawasawa,” the senator said.

According to Mr Sifuna, voters in Homa Bay are yet to fully benefit from government projects and services. He said the state of the infrastructure fell far short of what residents had been led to expect, arguing that the road was evidence of the government’s failure to deliver on its campaign promises.

“There is no difference between you and us in western. You still operate on dusty roads just like us,” he said.

Some residents of Suba South have jokingly argued that having Mr Mbadi come from the region should have made it one of the areas with the best infrastructure.

Beyond the genuine images captured during the rally, several AI-generated pictures were also shared online to dramatise the situation.

One showed Mr Sifuna covered in dust, while others depicted the area with people wearing turbans and robes, a style of dress commonly associated with the Middle East, particularly desert regions.

Social media users also compared the road with roads in other parts of the country, arguing that some regions have benefited from better infrastructure.

Others were quick to dismiss the images, claiming that the road shown was merely a route used by Linda Mwananchi after other roads had been barricaded. Some news outlets reported that the political group had been forced to divert onto alternative pathways after the main road was blocked.

Nation can, however, confirm that the road shown in the widely shared images is the route commonly used by motorists travelling from Kiabuya to Nyandiwa.

At one point, motorists have to cross a stream, while vehicles with less powerful engines struggle to climb a gentle slope immediately after the crossing.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.