Ex-Kisii finance CEC to act as Lake Region Economic Bloc boss

Former Kisii county finance executive Kodek Omwancha has been appointed the acting boss of the Lake Region Economic Bloc.

Omwancha replaces Abala Wanga who resigned on Friday last week, and will hold the position until the bloc’s next summit in September.

Abala has been the LREB head since December 2017 after he was deployed from Kisumu county. He did not give reasons for his resignation. 

Kodek was seconded to the bloc's secretariat from Kisii county government and has been the director of the region's bank project and the lead for the education pillar.

The bloc last month lost its vice-chairperson Governor Joyce Laboso who was buried in Fort Ternan, Kisumu, on August 3. 

“After extensive consultations with Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o and LREB chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, I have decided to resign and go back to my initial position in the county,” Abala said.

Abala said he was tasked with putting structures in place and that had been done. He said he would go back to his previous job as an adviser to Kisumu Governor. 

A section of the media had on August 1 reported that Oparanya was contemplating resigning his position as chairman.

The reports indicated Oparanya wanted to concentrate on his county duties and the chairmanship of the Council of Governors.

Oparanya, however, denied the claims on his Twitter handle. 

“I have noted widespread distortion in a section of the press on the statement that I made last week on my leadership at the Lake Region Economic Bloc. Some said I have quit as the chairman. My response is, I'm going nowhere," the tweet read.

The bloc has 14 members which include Kakamega, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kericho, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nandi, Nyamira, Siaya and Trans Nzoia and Vihiga.

The bloc is engaged in negotiations with three institutions to buy Sh2.8 billion shares in one of the banks.

LREB's earlier plan to set up its own bank was shelved owing to the challenge of raising equity which could delay the process.

Nine counties ratified the Lake Region Economic Bloc Bill last year.

(edited by O. Owino)

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