Barasa's message to Oparanya: Keep out of western Kenya politics

President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga have been urged to rein in the Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya from engaging in active Western Kenya politics.

According to Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, Oparanya should be stopped from engaging in politics that risk the unity of the broad-based government in the region.

He said the CS should focus on his mandate of promoting the government’s agenda and uniting residents of Kakamega and the Western region.

“I want to urge my President and my party leader, Raila, to intervene and call Oparanya to order. He is busy criss-crossing Kakamega County in a chopper attending political functions that undermine the unity and cohesion of our people,” said Barasa.

He added, “Oparanya should be reminded that he is above the politics he is doing; he is embarrassing himself.

‘‘Oparanya is a Cabinet Secretary, and he should promote and champion the government’s agenda as opposed to politics.”

Barasa opined that his predecessor is using government resources and MPs for his political interests.

“Our brother was awarded the CS position he is holding courtesy of the broad-based government and ODM party under our leader, Raila, and instead of uniting his people, he is busy undermining the county leadership and the way our people are living,” said Barasa. He said Oparanya should come to terms with his new role as Cabinet Secretary and accept that his ten-year tenure as Kakamega Governor ended in 2022 and that he should stop meddling in the affairs of his administration and county politics and instead focus on national politics.

“You cannot be using government resources to attend a mock homecoming ceremony for somebody who has not been elected as ODM county chair when our party leader himself recognises me as the duly elected chair,” said Barasa.

On Saturday, the Kakamega ODM executive office, led by party Vice-Chairman Nelson Majimbo, also urged Oparanya to stop sowing the seed of divisions in the party.

“Oparanya should respect the ODM party that made him a governor and now a CS, but instead of strengthening the party that made him grow, he is busy orchestrating schemes using MPs to kill ODM and as officials of the party, we will not allow it,” said Majimbo.

He added, “We are behind our county chair, Governor Barasa, and anything being done purporting to be homecoming is a mockery and political theatrics of people who are yet to come to terms with the fact that they can be led by somebody else.”

Oparanya insisted that he remains a loyal ODM member despite stepping down from active party leadership when he joined the Cabinet.

“I am still an ODM member. According to the law, you cannot be a Cabinet Secretary and an ODM official; that is why I stepped aside,” Oparanya said.

blusigi@standardmedia.co.ke

Oparanya praised MPs from the county for standing united behind Nabwera, who was picked as ODM’s Kakamega County chairman by his team, saying unity is critical if the party is to capture national power.

He dismissed claims that he is meddling in county affairs.

The rift between Barasa and Oparanya started during the ODM primaries when Barasa, who was defending his position as ODM County Chair, faced Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera as his competitor, whom he accused of being used by Oparanya to settle political scores with him.

The first polls stalled after the delegates allied to Barasa and Nabwera failed to agree on the voting method, where Barasa’s side was rooting for a show of hands as a voting method, while the MPs’ side was pushing for a secret ballot.

The ODM party later on set another date for a repeat election, where Nabwera and his team, comprising seven MPs, walked out of the voting venue after they failed to agree on the voting modality, leaving the returning officer to conduct the polls with Barasa’s side, where he was elected as the County ODM Chair.

However, Nabwera and his side declared themselves as the bona fide chair, causing further rift inside the ODM party.

Oparanya has, for several political functions, shown signs of supporting Kakamega Women Representative Elsie Muhanda as his preferred gubernatorial candidate after falling out with Barasa.