Oparanya rubbishes claims of CoG chairmanship promise to Mvurya

Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has denied his Kwale colleague's claims that he had been promised the leadership of the Council of Governors (CoG).

According to Salim Mvurya, a gentleman’s agreement had been reached and he (Mvurya) was to take over from Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok.

Mr Mvurya claimed that Mr Nanok was supposed to serve for only six months.

But Mr Oparanya, who was earlier this week elected to head the CoG, said it would not be an election if an individual was promised a specific seat.

He accused Mvurya of lying that he had contested the seat, while in reality he did not submit any nomination forms.

“If my friend was interested in the position, I never saw his form nor did I see his name on the ballot paper," said Oparanya.

"And by any chance if he was promised the seat after six months, it is one year now. Why didn't he complain?”

Legal steps

Oparanya said that he went through all the legal steps that were required in the election.

The CoG chairmanship was declared vacant in December 2018.

Interested parties were asked to submit a nomination form with details including the names of the people who had proposed them.

The election was supposed to take place on December 14, 2018, but it was pushed to January 14 this year.

This, according to Oparanya, was because President Uhuru Kenyatta was touring the western Kenya region.

“We could not hold the election during that period because the President was visiting the region," said Oparanya.

Mvurya, while addressing journalists outside his office on Tuesday, said CoG should have adhered to the 2017 deal.

"I did not participate in the election because I was not happy with how the CoG treated the succession process," he said.