Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Sports and Heritage CS Rashid Echesa had a war of words over woes facing Mumias Sugar Company.
Mr Echesa claimed he was the Western political kingpin. “I stood up to oppose construction of a weighbridge at Shikunga in Butere, but Oparanya went ahead to issue a licence that saw the facility built and now it has led to the problems Mumias Sugar is facing currently,” he said.
Echesa said he was hunted and locked up because he was against the said project.
He told Oparanya, who had not yet arrived at the event, to revoke the licence immediately. He threatened to storm the cane-buying centre on the Ekero-Buyangu road today, and have it closed down.
MCA's thanksgiving
Echesa spoke at the weekend at a thanksgiving event for Lubinu/Lusheya MCA Elly Keya at his Lubinu home. He, however, quickly vanished, accompanied by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa and political activist Stanely Livondo after spotting Oparanya's entourage approaching.
A visibly angry Oparanya took to the podium immediately he arrived and regretted that he could not teach the CS a lesson since the latter had fled.
“Tell them to face me when making such statements," said the governor, in apparent reference to the CS.
He said the Jubilee Government, and by extension the sugar sub-sector, were to blame for the problems bedeviling Mumias Sugar Company.
Oparanya said a committee had been formed to prepare and agree on a framework on how the ailing firm could be aided.
