Azimio One Kenya Alliance presidential aspirant Raila Odinga has assured Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya he will be the minister of finance if he forms the next government.
He made the remarks during the launch of the Orange Women Brigade Kakamega branch.
“When I am president Oparanya will be the minister of finance, (Nikiwa rais, Oparanya atakuwa waziri wa fedha),” he said.
Oparanya is a member of the Institute of Qualified Public Accountants of Kenya and a certified public accountant (ICPAK).
He has 23 years of expertise in auditing, corporate consulting, and local and global finance management.
Oparanya served as the Kenya-Aerotech Limited’s chief financial controller before entering politics in 2002.
The business, which was founded in 1971 and has its regional headquarters at the JKIA, provides aircraft ground support services.
Oparanya held the position of Minister of State for Planning, National Development, and Vision 2030 under the grand coalition administration from 2008 to 2013.
He graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option) and an MBA (Finance). Additionally, he has a PhD in Economics from Tanzania’s University of Dar es Salaam.
The assentation’s come after Azimio’s presidential candidate Odinga signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Kenya and other Western leaders supporting his presidential bid.
If Raila is elected president, the agreement lists the tasks that his administration will do. If he wins, Raila has already committed to nominating former National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende to serve as the next Senate Speaker.
Three Cabinet Secretaries, seven Principal Secretaries, five Chief Administrative Secretaries, and 12 ambassadors from the Western region, according to Raila, will be announced.
Aside from the National Assembly Leader of Majority position, he has also promised the region ten parastatal chairpersons and one hundred parastatal board members.