Cooperatives and SMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has dismissed claims of a political rift between him and Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.
In an interview on Monday, September 22, the CS made it clear that he has no reason to engage in rivalry at the county level.
Oparanya, who previously served as Kakamega governor, clarified that his focus is now on his national duties as a Cabinet Secretary.
"What is there for me to be involved with in Kakamega? I have enough work as a Cabinet Secretary. I have nothing to do in Kakamega.
"There is no fallout. I have no business with him; we are not rivals. There is nothing I can go to him for, as long as he is doing development for the people of Kakamega," he said.
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Elsewhere, this comes a week after the High Court in Nairobi nullified a decision by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to withdraw corruption charges against Oparanya.
In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, September 16, Justice Benjamin Musyoki termed the move irregular and unconstitutional.
He ruled that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) acted outside the confines of the law when he reviewed and later dropped the case against Oparanya.
The case arose from a constitutional petition filed by activist Fredrick Mulaa, who challenged the ODPP’s July 8, 2024, decision to close the file against the former Kakamega governor despite earlier recommendations from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to prosecute.
"A declaration is hereby issued that the 1st respondent’s decision to review its decision to charge the 1st interested party with the offences of conflict of interest, abuse of office, money laundering and conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption contained in its letter dated 8th of July 2024 is irregular and unconstitutional and therefore null and void.
"A writ of certiorari is hereby issued quashing the 1st respondent’s decision to review its decision to charge the 1st interested party with the offences of conflict of interest, abuse of office, money laundering and conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption contained in its letter dated the 8th of July 2024," Musyoki declared.
Musyoki also faulted the ODPP for considering fresh evidence submitted by Oparanya’s lawyers without involving the EACC, which had investigated the matter.
"The inevitable conclusion is that the 1st respondent usurped the powers of the 2nd interested party when it received alleged fresh evidence and unilaterally decided to review its decision to charge without reference to the 2nd interested party. It assumed powers it does not possess either in the Constitution or statute," he added.
