Oparanya says he is ready to quit ODM to unite Western

Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has declared that he is ready to leave the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to unite the Western region and strengthen the political voice of the Luhya community.

Speaking during the burial of former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo at Lumakanda grounds, Oparanya said his willingness to exit ODM was driven by the desire for regional unity, not personal ambition.

The former Kakamega governor recalled that Jirongo had consistently pushed for cohesion among Luhya leaders and often raised concerns about political fragmentation in the region.

“Every time he met me, he spoke about the unity of the Luhya people. One day I asked him, ‘Am I the problem because I belong to ODM?’” Oparanya said.

He added that he had previously expressed readiness to step aside from party leadership if it would bring leaders together.

“I told him that if I am the problem, I was ready to leave ODM, even when I was the deputy party leader, so that we could come together and form one party that all our people would belong to,” he said.

Oparanya noted that the Luhya community currently has several leaders heading different political parties, a situation he said has weakened the region’s bargaining power at the national level.

“Right now, we have two or three Luhya leaders who are party leaders. They, together with Jirongo, were all party leaders, and that is part of the challenge we face,” he said.

The Cabinet Secretary urged leaders to rise above personal differences and past rivalries, warning that disunity had continued to deny Western region its rightful influence in national politics.

“I want to say this openly before you all: if I am the problem, I am ready to leave ODM. Let us come together as one. I know that if we unite, we are a sleeping giant in this country,” Oparanya said.

His remarks came amid renewed debate over political divisions in Western, with Oparanya pointing to the proliferation of parties and competing leadership ambitions as a major obstacle to unity. 

He said leaders such as former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa are part of the broader political landscape that has remained fragmented.

Oparanya’s remarks come against the backdrop of simmering tensions within ODM, particularly with Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.

Earlier this year, Oparanya and Barasa differed over the chairmanship position since Barasa was vying for it while Oparanya supported lugari MP Nabii Nabwera.

The CS later accused Barasa of forwarding his files to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), claiming the move was intended to tarnish his name.

 The CS defended his tenure as Kakamega governor, saying he had served within the law and prioritised development for residents.

In response, Barasa publicly criticised Oparanya’s conduct, arguing that the former governor had struggled to fully transition into his national role after serving in county leadership for a decade.

Barasa further claimed that Oparanya had initially sought appointment to the National Treasury but was instead assigned the Co-operatives and MSMEs docket, a role he said was meant to help unite leaders in Kakamega and the wider Western region.

“He was given a Cabinet position to help bring unity among the people of Kakamega, but now he is using Members of Parliament to destabilise ODM,” Barasa said.

The governor called on President William Ruto and the late ODM leader Raila Odinga to intervene and rein in the Cabinet Secretary.