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President William Ruto finds himself at the center of an escalating political storm in Kakamega,
President William Ruto finds himself at the center of an escalating political storm in Kakamega, as deep-seated rivalries threaten the stability of the broad-based government in Western Kenya.
President Ruto knows very well that to counter Nairobi County Senator Edwin Sifuna’s rising influence, he desperately needs the western block. But things are rapidly changing.
The row intensified after Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa publicly urged President Ruto to dismiss Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, accusing his predecessor of persistent political interference and destabilizing county leadership.
Addressing public gatherings in the region, Barasa voiced frustration over Oparanya’s continued involvement in local political wrangles, arguing that the Cabinet Secretary should focus entirely on his national ministerial duties rather than meddling in Kakamega politics.
The governor asserted that Oparanya was appointed to the Cabinet to foster national unity and support service delivery, yet he allegedly uses local leaders and Members of Parliament to fight political battles back home.
Barasa explicitly called on President Ruto and opposition leadership to call the CS to order, warning that if Oparanya cannot restrain his local political ambitions, the President should relieve him of his Cabinet position.
The confrontation marks a dramatic fallout between former allies, as Oparanya played a pivotal role in backing Barasa’s election as governor.
In response, Oparanya dismissed the allegations, maintaining that he has no interest in fighting the current county administration and is focused purely on fulfilling his executive mandate.
This bitter power play places President Ruto in a delicate position.
With Oparanya serving as a critical pillar in the administration’s broad-based Cabinet setup, the feud threatens to fracture key political alignments in the vote-rich Western region.
As tensions rise, all eyes remain on the Head of State to see whether he will intervene directly to cool down the escalating Kakamega battle.
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