Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has dismissed any dispute with Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, amid reports that the two were not seeing eye to eye.
In an interview with TV47, Oparanya maintained that all was well between him and Barasa, even after the latter had accused him of interfering in the county’s politics to drive his own agenda.
Oparanya, who served as Kakamega Governor from 2013 to 2022, stated that he was too busy with his work in the Executive to involve himself with the affairs of Kakamega County.
“What is there for me to be involved with in Kakamega? I have enough work as a Cabinet Secretary. I have nothing to do in Kakamega,” Oparanya noted.
“There is no fallout. I have no business with him; we are not rivals. There is nothing I can go to him for, as long as he is doing development for the people of Kakamega,” he added.
Kakamega ODM Chairmanship
The dispute is said to have stemmed from the ODM chairmanship elections in Kakamega, where Oparanya was accused of sponsoring Lugari Member of Parliament Nabii Nabwera to challenge the Governor in a bid to weaken the county boss's leadership and influence in Kakamega.
The protracted elections resulted in Barasa being elected chair, after Nabwera’s camp walked out of the polls after failing to agree on the voting modality.
Initial elections stalled after delegates of the two camps failed to agree on a suitable method of voting.
After ODM set a date for repeat elections, Nabwera and his team walked out over the voting modality, leaving the returning officer to conduct elections with Barasa’s camp, resulting in his win.
The dispute has trickled down to Members of Parliament and Members of County Assembly (MCAs), who have since taken turns in throwing barbs at each other.
Leaders allied to Barasa accused the CS of sowing the seeds of division in the party, urging him to focus on development initiatives instead.
On the other hand, supporters of Oparanya have accused Barasa of not showing respect to Oparanya, despite the CS being the incumbent’s political mentor.
Barasa has also hit out at Oparanya himself, accusing him of undermining ODM party leader Raila Odinga’s influence in the Western region. Barasa alluded to the fact that Oparanya’s CS role was due to Raila’s direct influence in government.
