Oparanya, MCA differ over sugar

Members of the Kakamega County Assembly have differed with Governor Wycliffe Oparanya for allegedly accosting a Member of the County Assembly in public during a funeral service on Saturday claiming the MCA had uttered false allegations against him over sugar sector woes in the area.

The funeral turned to a political forum after an MCA took to the podium and made several claims, alleging that Oparanya was responsible for some of the problems sugar farmers in the area face.

Governor Oparanya and his supporters then pounced on Cleophas Malala, the Maiyakolo MCA, who rose to national fame after a play he had written was banned from being staged at the schools and colleges drama festival recently.

Malala was accosted, but with the help of his supporters, he fought back and stood his ground blaming the Governor of the Sugar Industry crisis.

This has led to a division of the county assembly over the controversial sugar industry issues with 20 MCA supporting the Governor while 27 others supporting their counterpart, Malala, insisting that the war against alleged graft in Kakamega County is on.

‘I will remain steadfast, until Oparanya’s regime is accountable,’ said Malala.

Governor Oparanya is facing two counts of incitement to violence in two different courts.

Kakamega High Court Judge Ruth Sitati issued temporary orders to stop a criminal case of incitement to violence in a lower court on Monday.

The Governor also failed to appear in a lower court Tuesday for a hearing in the case where he was charged for inciting mourners to burn houses, damaging property and causing injuries to four people.