Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has urged President William Ruto to sack Cabinet Secretary (CS) Wycliffe Oparanya. He accused the CS of focusing on politics instead of serving in government.
Barasa spoke during a church service on Sunday, September 14. He claimed Oparanya has been using local Members of Parliament to express dissatisfaction with his current role. According to the governor, Oparanya’s conduct has disrupted politics in Kakamega and created divisions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
“This CS thinks that every day he will be coming here to disturb us. We are tired now, and we want to urge the president that he should remove this burden,” Barasa said.
Barasa argued that Oparanya has embarrassed himself and weakened ODM unity. He also alleged that Oparanya is lobbying to become Treasury CS.
Oparanya was appointed to lead the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises on August 8, 2024. His appointment came after a cabinet reshuffle that followed anti-government protests.
Oparanya Responds
On his part, Oparanya dismissed the claims. Speaking in Kakamega on Saturday, September 13, he focused instead on ODM’s internal wrangles.
He criticized recent county ODM elections, saying they were irregular and against party procedures. He warned that divisions could damage the party’s reputation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“I only left ODM leadership because I wanted to rest a little bit, but I am still an ODM member. According to the law, you cannot be a CS and an ODM official,” Oparanya said.
He stressed that the Kakamega elections were poorly handled and risk tarnishing ODM’s image in the region.
Growing Political Tensions
The clash between Barasa and Oparanya highlights growing tension in ODM’s Western Kenya base. With 2027 in sight, the disagreements could weaken the party’s unity and influence in the region.
