Migori gubernatorial aspirant Byron Oginga has sharply criticised Governor Dr. Ochilo Ayacko’s development record, dismissing it as “hogwash and empty rhetoric” and calling for greater accountability and tangible results for county residents.
Oginga’s remarks come barely a day after Governor Ayacko delivered his 2026 State of the County Address at the Migori County Assembly on February 11, where he outlined what he described as one of the most ambitious infrastructure drives in the county’s devolved history.
In his address, Governor Ayacko highlighted multi-billion-shilling investments spanning health, roads, industrialization, markets, and sports infrastructure.
Among the flagship projects cited were the KSh 500 million upgrade of Migori County Referral Hospital (MCRH) to Level 5 status, the KSh 450 million upgrade of eight sub-county hospitals to Level 4, and the allocation of KSh 500 million for the establishment of 40 model health centres across the county’s wards.
Additional projects include a KSh 700 million 10,000-seater Migori County Stadium co-funded by the national government and currently reported at 82% completion; a KSh 500 million County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) in Nyatike said to be 85% complete; KSh 550 million for 10 ESP markets across sub-counties; and KSh 920 million for the Awendo Junction–Kanyimach road upgrade. The governor also referenced KSh 361 million under the FLLoCA climate resilience programme, pending disbursement.
Oginga: “Facts Are Stubborn”
However, Oginga has poured cold water on the administration’s claims, arguing that residents have yet to experience meaningful transformation on the ground.
“Ati Migori MCRH upgrade to Level 5 at KSh 500 million. Even a smell of development has not been realised. We need to see value for our money and visible projects, not theory,” Oginga stated.
“Some jokes, even a village idiot cannot accept. Facts are stubborn,” he added, insisting that public declarations must be matched by measurable and operational outcomes.
Concerns Over Execution and Funding Dependencies
Oginga questioned the sustainability of the governor’s development model, noting that several of the flagship projects rely heavily on co-financing from the national government or development partners.
For instance, the Migori County Stadium, CAIP, and ESP Markets are partly funded through national government support, while the FLLoCA programme includes KSh 228 million from a development partner that is yet to be disbursed. Under the World Bank’s Performance for Results (P4R) framework, Migori has received KSh 37.5 million, with additional funding contingent on further assessment.
He warned that delays in disbursements or shifting national priorities could stall completion and operationalization of these projects.
“Completion percentages are not development. An 85% complete project that cannot function does not change lives. A Level 5 hospital without specialists or equipment is just a building,” Oginga remarked.
Fiscal Pressure and Pending Bills
While acknowledging the county’s reported growth in own-source revenue—from KSh 386 million in 2022 to KSh 709 million in 2025—Oginga raised concerns about the county’s pending bills, which stood at KSh 837 million at the start of the 2025/26 financial year and were reduced to KSh 618 million by December 2025.
He questioned how the administration intends to simultaneously clear outstanding obligations and finance billion-shilling capital projects within the remaining time before the 2027 general elections.
“We cannot mortgage the future for political optics. Migori deserves prudent sequencing, sustainable financing, and projects that are fully operational—not just ribbon-cutting ceremonies,” he said.
Call for Transparency and Public Audit
Oginga called for an independent public audit of the ongoing mega-projects and urged the county leadership to provide clear timelines for completion and operationalization.
As Migori heads toward the 2027 elections, the development debate is expected to intensify, with the governor defending his record of aggressive capital investment and challengers demanding proof of impact.
“This election will not be about press statements,” Oginga concluded. “It will be about results that wananchi can see, feel, and benefit from.”
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