Cabinet nominee Wycliffe Oparanya says the investigation into alleged corruption during his tenure as Kakamega County governor is politically motivated.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments on Sunday, August 4, 2024, Mr Oparanya said that he has never been summoned by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to record a statement on the allegations.
“Nobody has come to me seeking that I record a statement over the allegations. It is purely a one-sided affair and I have never been given an opportunity to say my side of the story,” said Mr Oparanya who is set to run the Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development docket if approved.
“I was so much in the demonstrations in August 2023. Someone called me to say that EACC is looking for me and I asked him what the commission had to do with the demonstrations,” he said.
EACC has claimed that it is investigating Mr Oparanya for corruption, abuse of office, money laundering and conflict of interest during his time as the Kakamega County boss.
In a letter dated July 29 and addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly, the anti-graft watchdog said the nominee’s integrity was in question.
Additionally, the commission outlined that it had filed for preservation orders against the former Planning minister’s assets, where he is suspected to be in possession of proceeds from corruption.
The commission said it had secured court orders to freeze assets amounting to Sh28.9 million.
The letter from the EACC was a response to a request by the Clerk of the National Assembly, who requested a background check on integrity matters for all the nominees to President William Ruto’s Cabinet.
While denying any graft dealings and insisting that his record in public service speaks for itself, Mr Oparanya expressed his disappointment with EACC for harassing his family and confiscating phones from his children.
On Hustler Fund, one of Dr Ruto’s initiatives to actualise his bottom-up economic agenda, the nominee, who has in the past trashed the kitty, may have met his Damascus moment.
Mr Oparanya said that he did not have facts when he criticized the fund. This is despite admitting that the fund has some gaps that need to be dealt with to improve the lives of a majority of Kenyans.
“I had no facts about the fund until I was recently briefed,” said Mr Oparanya adding; “the only problem is that the fund was launched in a hurry before a proper legal framework had been established.”
He said the initiative was laudable and was likely to change lives.
“This fund was set up to address market failures at the lowest level— Mama mboga the person who couldn’t afford Sh500. It gave one a credit score so that the more you pay your score improves and you can borrow up to a million shillings. Unfortunately, there was no legal framework. I will ensure the board has staff that will manage the fund properly. It encourages savings because 30 percent goes into savings.”
