Co-operatives and SMEs Cabinet secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has said he proposed Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi to replace him as ODM deputy party leader.
In a video seen by the Star, Oparanya, while speaking at Mariaki Church of God in South-B on Sunday said that he advises ODM leader Raila Odinga to pick Osotsi as one of his deputies after he resigned to take up a cabinet post.
“When I left the party as deputy leader, I looked around and I decided that Osotsi has been loyal to the party. I told Raila that he (Osotsi) would be my suitable replacement and he listened to me,” he said
“I have seen some people screaming that the slot belonged to Kakamega County. That is bull shit. A Luhya is just a Luhya whether you come from Bungoma, Busia, Trans-Nzoia, Vihiga or Kakamega. These boundaries just exist for administration purposes,” he said.
Kakamega ODM delegates led by Governor Fernandes Barasa had on August 2 demanded that the seat left vacant after Oparanya’s exit be reserved for Kakamega county.
The delegates proposed Barasa as Oparanya’s replacement.
Osotsi said that ODM has only seconded experts to the Kenya Kwanza government.
“They requested support because they were unable to run the government and we gave them experts. ODM has no agreement with the Kenya Kwanza government,” he said.
He said that ODM remains in the opposition and will support the government if it does the right thing and criticises it where it fails.
The Vihiga senator said that ODM members who joined the government will return to the party when their terms end as Cabinet Secretaries.
