Wycliffe Oparanya has rejected calls for him to leave the Orange Democratic Movement and help establish a new political party for Western Kenya, saying his political ties to the party remain strong.
Speaking at a joint ODM-UDA gathering in Malava, Kakamega County, on Sunday, the Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary said he had been approached by leaders who wanted Western Kenya politicians to break away from ODM. He said he declined.
Oparanya said his political career had been closely tied to the late Raila Odinga, and that he had no intention of abandoning the party they helped build.
“Since I joined politics, everything I have achieved in government has come through Raila Odinga. I cannot betray the late Raila Odinga,” he said.
He said some leaders had argued that ODM had become too closely associated with the Luo community and that Western Kenya needed its own political vehicle.
Oparanya rejected that argument. He said leaders from the region had been involved in building ODM from its early days and should not now walk away from it.
“When people came to me saying Luhyas should separate because ODM had become a Luo party, I told them to wait. We started ODM together in 2005 and, out of respect for the late Raila Odinga, I cannot leave the party,” he said.
He added that he had consulted other leaders and that they had agreed to remain within ODM.
“We agreed that we should remain in ODM together, and I want to bring all the people of Western Kenya together,” Oparanya said.
His remarks come as Kenya’s political parties begin positioning themselves more openly for the 2027 elections.
ODM is currently part of the broad-based government arrangement with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance. The partnership has also fuelled debate within Western Kenya over whether the region should consolidate its political influence through a separate party or continue working through established national formations.
Oparanya’s decision to remain in ODM is significant given his long history in the party. He previously served as one of its deputy leaders and has been one of its most prominent figures in Western Kenya.
The political calculations have also extended to the question of who could serve as Ruto’s running mate if the UDA-ODM partnership survives into the 2027 election.
At the Malava gathering, ODM figures openly raised the possibility of the party negotiating for the deputy presidency.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed said ODM was working towards an arrangement with Ruto for the next election. If UDA retains the presidency, he suggested, ODM would seek the deputy president’s position.
Junet also endorsed Oparanya for the role, pointing to his years in ODM and his close association with Raila.
“The one who has stood firmly with Baba for many years, who has served as a Cabinet Secretary and our Deputy Party Leader, is Wycliffe Oparanya,” Junet said.
The proposal, however, is part of a political negotiation rather than an announced agreement. President Ruto has not publicly committed to replacing Deputy President Kithure Kindiki as his running mate, while UDA and ODM continue to navigate their competing interests ahead of 2027.
Oparanya’s position also comes at an important moment for ODM. The party recently reshuffled its senior leadership, with Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Nassir, Kisii Governor Simba Arati and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi appointed as deputy party leaders.
ODM’s own account of its history says the movement that became the party was formed around the 2005 constitutional referendum and was initially led by a broad coalition of politicians, including Raila Odinga, William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi. (Orange Democratic Movement)
For Oparanya, however, the message in Malava was straightforward: whatever political negotiations lie ahead, he does not intend to leave ODM to create a Western Kenya party.
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