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Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition spokesperson Makau Mutua has proposed the replacement of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Cabinet Secretary nominee Wycliffe Oparanya.

Mutua on Oparanya’s nomination

Mutua, in a statement shared via his official X account on Friday, August 2, 2024, said Oparanya’s nomination by President William Ruto has become untenable.

He went ahead to call for Opranya’s replacement in the cabinet, who should come from Kakamega County.

According to Mutua, Oparanya should spare the country and fall on his own sword.

“Oparanya’s nomination has become untenable. He should spare the country and fall on his own sword. There must be a suitable replacement from the great people of Kakamega County,” Mutua stated.

Oparanya’s nomination has become UNTENABLE. He should spare the country and fall on his own sword. There must be a suitable replacement from the great people of Kakamega County.

— Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) August 2, 2024

Oparanya’s woes

Oparanya faces an uphill task in his nomination as CS since the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is on his neck over a pending corruption case.

The EACC has since written to the National Assembly asking the House not to approve the nomination of Oparanya.

In a letter dated July 29, 2024, and addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly, EACC highlighted that Oparanya is faced with an alleged graft case.

Oparanya, however, has disputed the EACC’s claims that he has a pending corruption case hanging over his head.

The former Kakamega County governor has written to the National Assembly through Marende and Nyaundi Advocates, terming EACC’s communication to the House as malicious.

“The letter by the EACC dated July 29, 2024 disregards and ignores a letter by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, dated July 8, 2024, in which he informed the EACC that he ‘has reviewed the decision to charge all the suspects in the matter and directed that the file be closed for lack of sufficient evidence,” Oparanya said.

Oparanya, who recently resigned as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Deputy Party Leader, argues that it is surprising that whilst the EACC received the DPP’s communication on July 8, 2024, it still ignored the communication and went ahead and wrote to Parliament on July 29, 2024.

EACC on Oparanya’s case

However, EACC on Friday, August 2, 2024, sought to clarify why it declined the ODPP’s decision.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement shared via their official social media accounts, said it had not acted with malice in the corruption case against Oparanya.

“The commission clarifies that while it is true that on July 25, 2024, the ODPP delivered to the commission a letter dated July 8, 2024, withdrawing the DPP’s decision of December 18, 2023, that had granted EACC consent to charge Oparanya, the commission did not accept the DPP’s u-turn on the matter.

“Instead, the commission wrote back to the DPP, reiterating its earlier recommendation to charge all suspects, including Wycliffe Oparanya and his lawyer Ken Nyaundi,” the EACC statement read.

EACC says Oparanya is facing offence of corruption, abuse of office, conflict of interest, and money laundering.

Oparanya is supposed to face the Parliamentary Committee on appointments on Sunday, August 4, 2024, for vetting.

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