- Nine aspirants have lined up to replace Oparanya in August next year in what is likely to be a rough political duel.
- Addressing his executives on Friday, Oparanya said that he had set high standards and hoped that his successor will sustain the tempo.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has started preparations to exit from office, eight month before the next general election.
The county chief asked his County Executive Committee to start preparing for handing over to ensure a smooth transition.
"Next year will be a transition period. Let us start preparing for it. We should now be writing hand over notes by now," Oparanya said.
He said that he will constitute the County Transition Committee by February to work on handing over process.
Oparanya said the committee will be in place in time so that it has adequate time to discharge their mandate seamlessly.
Oparanya is serving his second and final constitutional term of office as the first Kakamega Governor.
Nine aspirants have lined up to replace Oparanya in August next year in what is likely to be a rough political duel.
They are his Deputy Philip Kutima, Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, former senator Boni Khalwale and Senator Cleophas Malala.
Others are Ayub Savula (Lugari), former Medical Services minister Amukowa Anangwe, economist Samuel Omukoko, Kakamega county assembly clerk Laban Atemba and lawyer Leonard Shimaka.
Oparanya has not declared which seat he will be vying for in 2022 but has ruled out contesting as an MP.
He had earlier announced that he will contest the presidency but later said he would be comfortable with any position in ODM leader Raila Odinga’s government.
Addressing his executives on Friday, Oparanya said that he had set high standards and hoped that his successor will sustain the tempo and build on the strong structures he had put in place to realise more development.
He addressed the executives at a Mombasa hotel on Sunday.
He said he will be leaving office a very proud person as he has done his best in transforming Kakamega county and the lives of people who elected him.
Oparanya, at the same time, called on the National Treasury to devolve Integrated Financial Management Information System to hasten financial management and absorption of funds by counties.
He said that control of flow of finances to counties through the system from Nairobi was frustrating development in devolved units.
"The national government should [not only] devolve IFMIS, but allow it be integrated with the National Treasury for smooth financial transactions by counties," Oparanya said.
"Some officers from the national government who do not believe in devolution are using IFMIS to frustrate counties. Allow counties to be able to control the system by themselves,” he added.
Oparanya said most counties were experiencing low budget absorption because of the challenges occasioned by the IFMIS.
He said that governors are wrongfully blamed by voters and their political detractors for failing to utilise funds allocated to counties.
"We are always on the receiving end for the low uptake of funds from the exchequer yet the mistake is not ours. It is caused by officers at the Treasury, out to sabotage governors' development plans through IFMIS," he said.
(edited by Amol Awuor)