Ruto, Oparanya well-calculated moves to tame Raila ahead of 2022 polls

Kakamega senator Wycliffe Oparanya is one of the key political heavyweights from Western Kenya who is coming out in full swing to make his 2022 political presence felt.

The once ODM key point main in Western Kenya is said to have secretly hutched a plan with Dp Ruto in a move that is aimed at curbing Raila’s dominance in the Western region.

Allies of Deputy President William Ruto from Kakamega County have lately been sending strong signals about a possible shift in the region’s political realignment, pointing to a possible alliance with Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

With 2022 politics taking shape, Oparanya is not taking chances in his State house bid. In the recent past, he has been alleged to be part of Deputy President William Ruto’s Kitchen Cabinet something that Oparanya has neither confirmed nor denied

Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali, the chairman of the Kakamega County MPs Caucus, has been vocal about the emerging political arrangement that, he says, would bring on board Mr Oparanya, who is the ODM deputy party leader.

Mr. Oparanya, who recently added another feather to his cap after he was elected chairman of the Council of Governors’ (CoG), has publicly declared that he plans to contest the presidency after serving his final term as governor in 2022.

With this, he has even asked Raila not to run in 2022 and support him because the ODM leader has failed four times to capture the top seat.

“I have talked to President Uhuru Kenyatta and asked for his support but he asked me to talk to Raila. I am talking to him and even Deputy President William Ruto because I am not closing the door on anyone,” he said.

Oparanya said his star is shining and his quest for the top seat unstoppable.

“I have been elected to chair the Lake Region Economic Bloc. President Uhuru made me co-chair of the sugar task force and lately I was elected CoG chairman. This means my track record is clear and nothing will stop me becoming the fifth president of Kenya,” he said.

This is viewed as a strategic move aimed at locking Raila Odinga out of Western votes and if all goes well will lead to a major coalition with Dp Ruto’s party into the elections.

The political undercurrents in the region come amidst reports that Mr Oparanya has been approached by Mr Ruto in a deal that would see the county boss become the DP’s running mate.

Ruto is highly likely to pick his Deputy from the rich vote Western region and Oparanya is seen as the ideal candidate for Ruto. Mr Shinali, a close ally of Dr Ruto, acknowledged the lawmakers from the region had met at the DP’s Karen residence for consultations on the matter and had agreed to vote as a bloc in 2022.