Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has asked his political opponents to let him finish his first five-year term without distractions. He said the critics should let the Kakamega people judge him in 2017 and decide whether to retain or reject him.
He accused his opponents of spending their weekends undermining him at funerals and other gatherings with the aim of inciting the residents against him but said they would fail.
Oparanya said he had only served half of his term and that as a seasoned public servant, he first concentrated on laying the foundation for a prosperous Kakamega in the long-term instead of cosmetic undertakings that would not withstand the test of time.
He said persons seeking to challenge him in 2017 and painting him as an incompetent and corrupt person had poor development records and that it would be a “disaster” if they became the governor.
“Surely even if I am a thief or robber, can I just start looting for these few months I have been in the office? I have been fighting hard to see more funding for our county and cannot be the same person stealing from my people,” he said.
Speaking in Kakamega town, Oparanya said as the country’s most populous county, Kakamega faces a myriad of challenges that require enhanced funding. He said the cash allocated to the county was inadequate. “We are now scaling up revenue collection by sealing all the existing loopholes.
We have engaged the Kenya Commercial Bank to help us undertake the exercise from this financial year through automation.
We have the ability to raise Sh3 billion per year but we only managed Sh800 million. We are now targeting Sh1 billion from this year and steadily improve it to Sh3 billion which will enable us be self-sufficient,” he said.
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