Cabinet Secretary Nominee for Cooperatives and Micro and Small Enterprise Wycliffe Oparanya has denied reports that they have ditched the ODM party in favour of President William Ruto.
Oparanya who spoke for the first time on Saturday regarding his appointment to the Cabinet said they remain ODM members even as they serve in government.
"This is our country. You remember very well that the president clearly said that he is forming a government of national unity. So a government of national unity definitely will involve members of the opposition," he said.
"And it does not mean that we have abandoned our party ODM. We are still ODM members but serving the government in our respective capacity."
Oparanya is among the four ODM members Ruto nominated to the Cabinet on Wednesday
Others are Hassan Joho, Opiyo Wandayi and John Mbadi.
Mbadi was given the Treasury docket, Energy and Petroleum went to Wandayi while Joho was handed the Ministry of Mining and Blue Economy.
Raila on Saturday said the ODM party set free its four members nominated to the cabinet.
Raila, however, insisted that they didn't enter into any agreement or a signed pact with the government and that the ODM party is still in the Opposition and Azimio.
The Azimio chief explained that when Ruto requested to have members from his party, he insisted that there were issues that needed to be addressed first before they could go that direction.
Raila said Ruto, however, said he was in a hurry and needed to reconstitute the cabinet because the country must continue running and any other outstanding issues will be addressed later.
“We said if you want to take some of our experts and get into your government we release them to join your government but they work in accordance with the ethics of our party ODM and Azimio,” Raila said.
