Editor's Review

"The president clearly said that he is forming a government of national unity." 

ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya has disclosed that he is still a member of the party after he was nominated to the cabinet by President William Ruto. 

Speaking to the press on Saturday, July 27, Oparanya intimated that he was not going to abandon the orange party upon taking his new role.

The former Kakamega governor asserted that the president was forming a government of national unity, which would definitely involve the opposition.

"This is our country. You remember very well that the president clearly said that he is forming a government of national unity. So a government of national unity definitely will involve members of the opposition.  

"And it does not mean that we have abandoned our party ODM. We are still ODM members but serving the government in our respective capacity," Oparanya remarked.

Wycliffe Oparanya.

His remarks come after ODM leader Raila Odinga insisted that the ODM party and the Azimio la Umoja coalition have not entered into a coalition agreement with the UDA party.

“As articulated in our statement on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, neither the ODM Party nor Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party has entered into any coalition agreement with President Ruto's UDA party,” Odinga said in a statement on Thursday, July 24.

Oparanya was nominated to the cabinet alongside his counterpart Hassan Joho, ODM chairman John Mbadi and National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi.

The former Kakamega governor was nominated for the Ministry of Cooperatives while the former Mombasa governor was nominated for the Ministry of Mining

Mbadi and Wandayi were nominated for Treasury and Energy respectively.