Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has launched a scathing attack on Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya after he endorsed County Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda for the gubernatorial seat in 2027.

Speaking during a funeral in Kakamega on Saturday, September 7, 2025, the senator expressed his fury over Oparanya’s endorsement of Muhanda, stating that there are other capable leaders who are better suited for the job.

According to Khalwale, who has also expressed interest in the seat, Kakamega is not a place where Oparanya can impose leaders at will. He compared the move to Oparanya’s past imposition of the incumbent Governor Fernandes Barasa, with whom he later fell out, warning that Oparanya was attempting the same with Muhanda.

Khalwale, while calling for the rejection of Barasa, who, according to him, has failed to deliver after being imposed by Oparanya, also urged them not to allow this to happen.

“Nikidhani Oparanya amesikia; amekuwa Ikolamani jana, ulikuwa na Elsie ukasema vile haupendi Barasa ati umetuletea yeye; wachana na Elsie,” Khalwale said.

Muhanda’s endorsement

This comes a day after Oparanya endorsed Elsie Muhanda for the county job during an event in Ikolomani on Friday, September 7, 2025.

 The former governor threw his weight behind Muhanda as he went heavily on the incumbent governor, Fernandes Barasa, wondering what Kakamega residents really based their decision on before electing him as their governor.

“Mnaleta mkora kama yule mlichagua hapa; sijui watu waliangalia wapi. Unashangaa watu waliangalia wapi,” Oparanya stated.

He gave his personal experience with Muhanda, stating that she was first introduced to him by Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali long ago while he was still serving as Minister for Planning in President Mwai Kibaki’s cabinet. Oparanya later appointed her as a commissioner in the Committee on Poverty Eradication.

After being elected as governor, Oparanya stated that he appointed Muhanda as the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Health. Later, when she shared her ambitions to contest for the Kakamega Woman Representative seat, he reassigned her to the trade docket that would have allowed her to traverse the whole county and engage directly with citizens.

“Wakati nilikuwa Waziri wa Mipango, nilimweka kwa Poverty Eradication Committee kama commissioner; huyu Shinyali ndio alinijuliza kwa Elsie.”

According to Oparanya, based on his past experiences with Muhanda, she is best suited for the county job and the one to succeed Barasa, who is doing his first term in office.