Western Kenya leaders rally behind Oparanya for Ruto's deputy president slot

Cooperatives CS Wycliffe Oparanya's supporters argue that his political experience gives him an advantage over other potential contenders for DP slot. [File, Standard]

A fresh political contest is taking shape within the broad-based government after a section of ODM leaders from Western Kenya threw their weight behind Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya as a potential running mate to President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.

The leaders want Oparanya considered for the Deputy President position in the proposed pre-election power-sharing agreement between ODM and Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA), arguing that his political experience, national profile and influence in Western Kenya make him the most suitable candidate.

The campaign is expected to complicate negotiations between the two parties, particularly as allies of Deputy President Kithure Kindiki intensify efforts to secure his retention as Ruto's running mate in the next election.

The latest endorsement also signals an emerging battle within ODM over who should represent the party in the anticipated government-sharing arrangement, with Western Kenya leaders increasingly positioning Oparanya as their preferred candidate.

Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali, who chairs the Kakamega MPs Caucus, led the latest push, arguing that ODM must secure the Deputy President position if the party agrees to enter into a formal electoral arrangement with UDA.

Speaking during a grassroots mobilisation meeting in Ikolomani, Shinali said ODM had assessed its experienced leaders and settled on Oparanya as the most suitable candidate to deputise Ruto.

"UDA, as the party currently running the government, has the President. As ODM, we also have a candidate, and we are saying that if they get the presidency, we want them to give us the Deputy President position in that government," said Shinali.

He added: "Within ODM, we have also assessed our leaders and considered those with leadership experience. Among all of them, Wycliffe Oparanya stands out. He has been an ODM leader and was very close to Baba. He qualifies for the position."

Shinali said the CS had the leadership credentials and political experience required to work with Ruto for the next five years, adding that the arrangement could provide an opportunity for Western Kenya to strengthen its political bargaining power ahead of the 2032 succession.

"We are presenting him as the ODM candidate because he can work with the President for the next five years, and when we get to 2032, we can assess how he moves forward," he said.

Oparanya's supporters argue that his political journey gives him an advantage over other potential contenders.

Shinali said Oparanya had served as an MP for two terms before joining the Cabinet during the Grand Coalition Government and later serving in President Ruto's administration. He also served two terms as Kakamega Governor, giving him considerable experience in both national and county governments.

His supporters further point to his longstanding association with the late ODM leader Raila Odinga and his influence within the party, arguing that he can help negotiate a favourable deal for ODM without undermining its political identity.

Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda also backed the broad-based arrangement, saying residents were increasingly appreciating development projects undertaken by the Ruto administration.

Muhanda said the region had benefited from government interventions, particularly in agriculture, and maintained that ODM supporters in Western Kenya were comfortable remaining within the broad-based government arrangement.

"We are happy with President William Ruto's government because it has supported us. Residents who attended this meeting unanimously appreciated the reduction in fertiliser prices. We are farmers, and agriculture is the backbone of our economy," she said.

She added: "We can see the development projects President William Ruto has undertaken, and we will remain in ODM and continue supporting the Broad-Based government."

Her remarks underline the delicate balancing act facing ODM leaders as they push for a bigger stake in government while attempting to maintain the party's identity and political support base.

Oparanya, who accompanied Shinali and Muhanda to the meeting, confirmed that discussions were underway to bring UDA and ODM together through a political agreement ahead of the 2027 elections.

He, however, cautioned that the final positions would be determined through negotiations involving representatives from both parties.

"As ODM leaders, we have agreed to work together with UDA and strengthen our two parties. By bringing the strength of the two parties together, we can form a stronger government in 2027," said Oparanya.

He disclosed that the two parties were preparing to establish a 10-member political committee, with each party nominating five representatives to negotiate the proposed arrangement.

"Soon, we will have a political committee in which each party will nominate five members. The ten representatives will sit together and discuss how we can form a government, what each party will get and how the arrangement will work," he said.

The Cabinet Secretary acknowledged that negotiations over positions could trigger disagreements within the emerging political alliance, saying experienced politicians had a responsibility to bring competing interests together.

He likened the contest to disagreements within a family, arguing that political differences were inevitable as different factions sought to secure their interests following Raila's death.

"That is normal. Some people feel they have been sidelined, while others were the ones who felt sidelined when Baba was still around. Now that Baba is gone, some have become more assertive. That is normal," he said.

"But our responsibility, as experienced politicians who have been in politics for many years, is to bring these people together."

The latest push for Oparanya is not an isolated development. Sirisia MP John Walukhe, who chairs the Western MPs Caucus, has also been among the leaders championing his suitability for the position.

Walukhe has argued that Western Kenya should not be left out of the negotiations, particularly given its numerical strength and strategic importance in determining presidential election outcomes.

He has also maintained that the region needs to consolidate its political interests around a candidate capable of negotiating a powerful position in the next government.

Walukhe has previously suggested that Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula have softened their ambitions to become Ruto's running mate or position themselves for the presidency in 2032.

At one point, he claimed Mudavadi was backing Kindiki's bid to remain Ruto's deputy, a position that could complicate efforts by Western Kenya leaders to rally behind a single candidate.

The push for Oparanya is also gaining momentum against the backdrop of his recent political engagements across Western Kenya.

Sources close to the Cabinet Secretary told The Standard that Ruto had tasked him with consolidating support for his re-election bid in Kakamega County, the most populous county in Western Kenya and a critical political battleground.

Oparanya has reportedly been moving across the county's 12 constituencies, establishing grassroots networks involving young people and elderly residents drawn from its 60 wards.

The networks are expected to popularise government projects, mobilise support for Ruto's 2027 re-election campaign and counter the growing influence of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and his Linda Mwananchi political movement.

Kakamega has increasingly become a key battleground in the contest for Western Kenya's political direction, with Sifuna attracting support among sections of ODM supporters opposed to the party's cooperation with Ruto.

Oparanya's mobilisation efforts could therefore provide him with an opportunity to demonstrate his political influence beyond his traditional ODM support base while strengthening his bargaining position in the proposed coalition negotiations.

His growing prominence has also been reinforced by a series of political meetings with leaders from the region.

Last month, he hosted Raila Odinga Junior and council elders from Bondo, Siaya County, who endorsed him as a political father and mentor to the late ODM leader's family.

The elders urged him to work closely with ODM party leader Oburu Oginga in strengthening the party amid its emerging relationship with UDA.

The endorsement sparked political debate over Oparanya's growing influence within ODM and his possible role in shaping the party's future leadership.

A few months earlier, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed had also floated Oparanya's name as a possible running mate for Ruto during a political engagement in Malava, Kakamega County, triggering debate over the party's succession and power-sharing strategy.

The proposal comes at a time when ODM is seeking to negotiate a favourable position in its proposed arrangement with UDA.

ODM leader Oburu Oginga has repeatedly insisted that the party will not enter into a political agreement blindly, maintaining that any partnership must recognise its strength and guarantee it a meaningful share of government.

However, Oparanya's emergence as the preferred candidate among a section of Western Kenya leaders is likely to open a fresh contest with Kindiki's allies, who are determined to defend the Deputy President's position.

It also raises questions about whether the proposed UDA-ODM arrangement will accommodate competing regional interests or trigger fresh divisions within the broad-based government.