Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has told Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya to stop attaching conditions to his support for President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking in Khwisero during the distribution of grants to women’s groups, Barasa said leaders in the broad-based government should support Ruto without expecting political positions in return.
The Governor appeared to take issue with Oparanya’s push for the Deputy President position in the 2027 elections, saying asking for the position in exchange for political support amounts to blackmail.
He added that Oparanya was free to leave the political arrangement if he felt he could no longer support the President.
Barasa also dismissed the idea that Ruto’s re-election prospects in Western Kenya depend on any single political leader.
“President Ruto’s work in Western Region is enough to give him the votes without you,” the Governor said.
He insisted that supporting the President of Kenya should not be a bargaining exercise where leaders demand positions before offering their backing.
“You cannot give conditional support for the President of Kenya,” he said.
The remarks come as political jostling intensifies ahead of the 2027 elections, with leaders in Western Kenya positioning themselves within the emerging alliances and succession debate.
Barasa was speaking in Khwisero as he oversaw the issuance of grants to women’s groups, aimed at helping them strengthen their businesses and improve household incomes.
