Governor Oparanya denies fallout claims with deputy

ODM West Pokot County chair Joseph Akaule speaks when he led a delegation to the party Deputy Leader Wycliffe Oparanya's home in Lumakanda, Kakamega, on Sunday. [Nathan Ochunge, Standard]

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has come out to refute claims of growing rifts between him and his deputy, Philip Kutima, over the 2022 succession politics.

Oparanya termed the speculations that there is a fallout between him and Prof Kutima as baseless and misplaced. 

“Kutima and I have built a solid track record of working closely together in harmony and supporting each other with a view to actualizing our political campaign manifesto and the county development agenda as laid out in the County Integrated Development Plan and other development plans and strategies,” said the governor.

Speculations have been rife that Oparanya could have intended to cut his deputy to size in recent cabinet changes that saw Prof Kutima stripped off the lucrative Agriculture docket.

But the county boss insists that the changes were the outcome of continuous engagement and consultations between himself and Prof Kutima in furthering the interests of the county.

A section of Members of the County assembly had accused the governor of undermining his deputy through intimidation.

Kabras East MCA Lazarus Lucheveleli and his Butali/Chegulo counterpart Kevin Mahelo said Oparanya was unfairly targeting Kutima.

A statement read on Oparanya’s behalf by his chief of staff Robert Sumbi, revealed that Prof Kutima would be well engaged since he (Oparanya) was involved more in national duties.

“Following my added responsibilities at the national level, Kutima will shoulder greater supervisory responsibility than ever before which can better be effected when he unloads some of the responsibilities like being a CEC of a ministry.”