Nairobi — Cooperative Cabinet Secretary nominee Wycliffee Oparanya who has been on the limelight for graft allegation has defended his integrity denying any alleged embezzlement of Sh1.3 billion during his two-term tenure as Governor of Kakamega County.
This is following reservations on his appointment forwarded to the vetting committee by the Ethics and Anti -Corruption Commission (EACC) which cited corruption allegations during his tenure as Governor.
Oparanya told the vetting committee the integrity issues against him was a mere witch-hunt sine he has never written a statement on the matter saying he is not aware of the allegations against him.
"Cooperative money will be very safe in my hands. The facts are not true, nobody has come to me to write a statement. I don't know these prosecution is one sided because I have never given a chance to say my story," he said.
Last year, the anti-graft agency had obtained orders to freeze his assets worth Sh28.9 million pending investigations.
The Former Kakamega Governor alluded that the woes behind him on the corruption matters was a political witch-hunt given his active involvement in the Azimio La Umoja demonstration which were staged after the disputed 2022 general elections.
"In August 2023 I was active in demos and I was called by someone saying because I was active in demonstrations the EACC were looking for me and I wondered what EACC had to do with demonstrations," Oparanya disclosed.
He claimed when the EACC raided his house the questions thrown to him were his link with Azimio La Umoja party leader Raila Odinga and allegations of financing the Opposition protests staged for months.
"When they come into my house, they asked me what business are you doing with Raila Odinga. Odinga is only my party leader. I was asked if I keep guns in my house. Where do you I get money to fund demos," Oparanya lamented.
In October last year, Oparanya accompanied by his spouse and son had visited the EACC headquarters assertions being made he had gone to record a statement against following the graft claims.
However he now says he had gone to pick personal belongings belonging to his children which were picked by detectives during the house raid.
"I had gone to collect phones of my children who were flying out of the country. They kept me there for hours saying they were scanning the phones. I got the phones but they remained with the computer," he explained.
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The anti-graft commission said investigations indicated that public funds were unlawfully acquired through proxies and associates during his tenure as county boss.
"I wouldn't know any member recorded a statement because I wasn't a governor but I know one of my colleagues was called to record a statement," Oparanya noted.
EACC claimed that Oparanya, received some irregular benefits amounting to Sh56.7 million between 2013 and 2022 when he served as the governor of Kakamega County.
In the evidence before the anti-graft agency,a Contractor - Sesela Resources Ltd, had on July 28, 2021, irregularly deposited Sh10 million to the account of Oparanya's lawyer, Marende & Nyaundi Advocates.
EACC also wanted DPP to investigate how Sh2m was sent to Winbrics Logistics Limited, a company associated with Oparanya.
On May 22, 2022, the EACC claimed that Sabema International Limited paid Sh1 million in kickbacks to Oparanya's personal bank account.
The Former Deputy ODM leader questioned the timing of the house raid and graft claims raised against him on his tenure as Kakamega Governor long after he had left the helm of the county leadership.
"I have worked as a minister for five years and we have had auditor report in every financial year with nothing raised against me. As a governor, people have said devolution is working in Kakamega and during the ten year tenure nobody came for me. Why now?" he posed.
