Oparanya dismisses graft allegations, declares he has nothing to fear as calls for arrest grow

Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has declared he has nothing to fear, even as calls for his arrest over corruption intensify.

Speaking in Kakamega on Friday, September 19, Oparanya dismissed graft claims levelled against him, terming them a political witch hunt by rivals. He defended his tenure as Kakamega Governor, pointing to development projects and services that, he said, transformed the lives of residents.

The CS challenged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other investigative agencies to produce evidence, insisting he was ready to defend himself.

“If they have tangible proof that I engaged in graft, let them proceed. I do not fear anything,” he said.

His remarks came days after the High Court quashed the Director of Public Prosecution’s decision to withdraw a Ksh57 million graft case against him, ruling that it violated constitutional principles of accountability and transparency.

Justice Benjamin Musyoki faulted DPP Renson Ingonga for acting outside his mandate, saying the move undermined the EACC’s role.

Following the ruling, the National Integrity Alliance demanded Oparanya’s immediate arrest, terming the judgment a landmark step in the fight against impunity. The lobby urged the DPP to file fresh charges based on EACC’s findings.