Cyprian Nyakundi has pointed a finger at Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, claiming she repeatedly brings up a cancer diagnosis around election periods in what he sees as a bid for sympathy votes.
In a recent post, Nyakundi stated that every year leading up to elections, Wanga talks about having stage four cancer that then seems to clear up once the polls are over.
Wanga first publicly shared details of her illness in 2019 while serving as Homa Bay Woman Representative. She told a parliamentary health committee that she had been diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer around 2014. Local doctors had struggled to identify the problem, and she sought treatment abroad.
She used her experience to push for better cancer care, including making it part of primary health services and training more specialists.
At the time, she described it as a personal matter that motivated her legislative efforts.
Last week, on August 27, 2026, Wanga spoke again about the same journey during the commissioning of the Phoebe Asiyo Oncology Center at Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital. She said she has been dealing with cancer for 12 years.
She recalled the moment she told her family and how they reacted with tears while she stayed calm, guided by advice from former Senator Beth Mugo that the mind, not the disease itself, could be the real threat. Wanga credited faith and gratitude for her survival, noting that she was a newly elected MP when diagnosed and that access to treatment made a difference.
She stressed she is still here and not going anywhere, linking her story to plans for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other cancer services in the county so residents do not have to travel far.
The timing has drawn attention because Kenya’s next general election is due in 2027. Nyakundi’s comment frames the latest disclosure as part of a pattern tied to election seasons rather than a straightforward health update. Some online reactions have echoed similar doubts, with a few users accusing her of seeking sympathy, while others have offered support and prayers, noting she has spoken about the illness before.
Wanga has long connected her personal experience to public policy. In 2019 she sponsored a bill aimed at improving early detection and care. As governor she has continued to highlight cancer services, using the recent event to announce local facilities.
Supporters see her openness as advocacy rooted in lived experience. Critics, including Nyakundi, question why the story surfaces so prominently near election cycles.Cancer remains a serious challenge in Kenya, with late diagnosis common and treatment often requiring travel or high costs. Wanga’s account fits into a broader discussion among leaders who have faced the disease, including Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, who has spoken about his own prostate cancer battle. Public figures sharing such stories can raise awareness, yet the political context inevitably invites scrutiny about motives.Nyakundi’s criticism does not dispute that Wanga faced a diagnosis years ago. Instead it focuses on the pattern of public mentions and their proximity to elections. Whether the latest remarks are genuine health advocacy or calculated messaging is a matter of public judgment. For now, the exchange has placed Wanga’s long-standing cancer disclosure back in the spotlight just as the political calendar begins to turn toward 2027.
