Wycliffe Oparanya faces the heat as race gathers steam

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Senator Boni Khalwale at an event in Shinyalu at the weekend. Dr Khalwale says he would face the governor during the 2017 elections. [PHOTO: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]

KAKAMEGA: The race for the governor's seat continued to pick up pace as Jubilee told the incumbent, Wycliffe Oparanya, to ditch ODM in exchange for support.

Campaigns intensified ahead of next year's General Election as Jubilee legislators withdrew their support for the governor until he crosses over or they will field another candidate.

However, Mr Oparanya, who is also an ODM deputy party leader, declared he would not leave his party, arguing it was the most popular in the larger Western region.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and former county executive Suleiman Sumba have declared their interest in replacing Oparanya.

Jubilee is likely to front former Butere MP Amukowa Anangwe (below) to take Oparanya on. Both Oparanya and Prof Anangwe come from Butere. Speaking from Dodoma University in Tanzania where he lectures, Anangwe said: "I am preparing to come back to Kakamega to start my campaigns. I am confident I will deliver the seat for Jubilee."

Dr Khalwale insisted he could even face Oparanya in the CORD nominations, claiming he had the support of a considerable number of lower-class citizens and was optimistic that they would vote for him.

"I control the hoi poloi - the bullfighters, sugarcane cutters and farmers, boda boda riders. Those are my people and I know they will vote for me," said Khalwale.

Mumias East MP Ben Washiali, who has been a staunch Oparanya supporter, has since changed his tune. He joined scores of Jubilee-friendly MPs to declare they would not support the governor's re-election and hinted that they would front their own candidate.

"Unless he crosses over to Jubilee, he should forget our support," said Emmanuel Wangwe (MP, Navakholo).

Mr Washiali, who has since broken ranks with Oparanya, said yesterday: "As Jubilee, we will field a candidate to vie for the governor's seat in Kakamega."

Others also opposed to Oparanya are Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani) and David Were (Matungu).

Oparanya's decision to ignore Senate Public Accounts Committee summons on county expenditure has not gone down well with MPs.

"Skipping the summons raises many questions about the way money sent to the county by the national government is spent. Let him go there and clear his name," Washiali said.

PUBLIC FUNDS

"Leaders in Kakamega are not ready to support misappropriation of public funds. We hereby ask the Senate committee to remain firm. Should it be found he embezzled public funds, he should face the law," he added.

However, Oparanya dismissed the conditions given for him to gain support and welcomed other contenders for the governor's seat. He said the MPs did not support him in the 2013 elections and he still won by a landslide.

"I am ready for the challenge. Those MPs were not with me in the last elections and I still won the seat. It is not a major concern whether they are with me or not. The electorate will decide," he said.

"They are all welcome to contest because it is their democratic right to vie for any political seat. I have no authority to lock aspirants out."

Oparanya is optimistic about re-election because of his development record. He says many have benefited from the development projects he initiated and will return him to office as a result.

"As the governor, part of my responsibilities include uniting our people. That is why I will work with all elected leaders for the common interests of the people," he added.

Oparanya and Khalwale recently differed in public yet again over the use of county funds. The senator claimed he had brought billions of shillings to the county but this had been misused. Oparanya dismissed the claims, saying funds were allocated by the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA).

"For any work you are doing, we are silently taking stock and calculating the money used. It is me who brings money to this county," Khalwale told Oparanya at a funeral in Shinyalu.

DEFEND TRADERS

Khalwale also said he would defend traders who failed to pay back the county's Mikopo Mashinani loans. The beneficiaries got between Sh 5,000 and Sh 20,000 to expand their businesses.

"If the loan beneficiaries fail to pay back, ask me; I will account for it in the Senate," Khalwale said.

"I will tell the Senate Speaker that traders from Shinyalu took loans from Oparanya and used the money to buy maize seeds but due to the harsh climate, they are not able to pay back the loans. Then we'll forget about the money."

However, Oparanya said CRA used a specific formula to allocate county funds and whether Khalwale remained a senator or not, the county would continue to get money from the national government.