By Collins Wanzallah
Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, the nominated Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development, has announced his intention to sue top officials of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). The former Kakamega Governor accuses them of disseminating false information to the Clerk of the National Assembly, which he claims has unjustly impeded his vetting process.
Through his lawyer, Danstan Omari, Oparanya argues that the EACC’s letter to Parliament recommending the halt of his vetting lacks merit. He is specifically targeting EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak, and commissioners John Otieno Ogalo, Cecily Mutuku, Dr. Monicah Wanjiru, Cornel (Retired) Alfred Mushimba, and David Ogindo.
Oparanya asserts that there are no active corruption cases against him, and that he has never been formally charged due to a stay order from the High Court preventing his arrest and prosecution. “My client is ready to serve the country in the capacity given to him by the President, and these claims are baseless,” stated Omari.
The former Deputy Party Leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is demanding an apology and the retraction of the letter sent to the Clerk of the National Assembly. Failure to comply, he warns, will result in legal action against the individuals and the entire EACC.
“Take note that failure to heed to our demands, we have strict instructions to institute legal proceedings against yourselves jointly and severally as individuals exercising personal interest to the detriment of the rule of the law and that of the Constitution of Kenya,” reads the letter from Omari.
Oparanya’s nomination by President Dr. William Ruto for the Co-operatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development post follows recent anti-government protests, which saw more than forty youths allegedly killed by police.