Loyalty of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya to his Party leader Raila Odinga has been questioned amid claims that he was warming up to Deputy President William Ruto’s camp after missing Azimio la Umoja campaigns in Western Kenya last week.
However, Oparanya has dismissed the assertions as unfounded.
The Kakamega governor said it would be “foolish” of him to join the DP’s team and be the region’s third best after Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford-Moses Kenya’s Wetang’ula.
“Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are there and I am taking care of Western within Azimio. I am sitting on a government-in-waiting and no amount of rumours and propaganda will detract our course,” he said.
The Kakamega governor has been as a key pillar in Odinga’s camp from the region following the exit of Mudavadi and Wetang’ula.
However, his absence from Azimio rallies in Vihiga and Busia counties last week probed the question whether he was reconsidering his position in ODM.
The Azimio rallies were presided over by the other deputy party leader, Hassan Ali Joho. He was assisted by MPs Junet Mohammed (Suna East), Kanini Kega (Kieni), Sabina Chege (Murang’a) and Democratic Action Party (DAP-K) leader Wafula Wamunyinyi.
A section of Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) supporters had even claimed that Oparanya would join their camp during a rally at Amalemba grounds in Kakamega last week.
Oparanya said he had attended Odinga’s presidential campaign board meeting in Nairobi on the request of the ODM boss.
“On Friday, we had a presidential campaign board meeting, which took six hours. How would I attend the rallies with such a high profile meeting in the absence of the party leader? I had to attend the meeting to make decisions following the delegation by the party leader,” he said.
According to Oparanya, the KKA has a different ideology to what he subscribes to hence there is no possibility that they can team up ahead of the August 9 elections.
He said if the only alternative left is for him to work with the DP, then he better quit politics.
“You know those people have a different ideology to what we stand for. If I was to join them and that is the only option, then I will rather retire and go home and become a farmer,” he said.
