Oparanya: I’m ready to quit ODM to unite Luhya community

Co-operatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has said he is willing to leave the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) if it would help unite the Luhya community and advance the political and economic interests of the Western region.

Speaking during the burial of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, Oparanya revealed that unity within Luhya land was a recurring subject in his discussions with the late politician.

He told mourners that he once openly expressed his readiness to quit ODM, where he previously served as deputy party leader, if his party affiliation was seen as an obstacle to regional cohesion.

“All the time when I met Jirongo, we could always speak about the unity of Luhya land. One day I asked him, am I the problem because I am in ODM?” I told him that if I am the problem, I am ready to leave ODM so that we can unite and form another party that will unite the Western region,” he said.

Oparanya reiterated that his priority remains the unity and progress of the Luhya community, urging leaders and residents to put aside divisions and work together.

“I want to tell you all that if I am the problem, I am ready to leave the ODM party. I urge you all to unite and move the region forward,” he said.

He described Western Kenya as a “sleeping giant”, noting that the region’s numerical strength and economic potential could only be realised through political unity and a shared vision.

The remarks come amid renewed conversations on Luhya unity following Jirongo’s death, with several leaders using the occasion to call for cohesion across clans and political affiliations.

Jirongo, who was laid to rest at his Lumakanda home, was widely remembered as a fierce advocate of Luhya unity and regional empowerment, a cause that leaders said should be carried forward in his memory.

On Monday, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula joined hands with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and CS Oparanya in a coordinated effort to unite the Luhya community and strengthen its bargaining power ahead of the 2027 polls.

Wetang’ula said the three senior leaders had agreed to close ranks and offer collective leadership as a basis for consolidating the community’s political influence at the national level.

“If we are serious about uniting our people, we must first unite ourselves. That is why Mudavadi, Oparanya and I have agreed to put words into action,” he said.

The Speaker was speaking at Seregeya village, at the home of the late former Likuyani MP Enoch Wamalwa Kibunguchy, where he led MPs and other leaders in condoling with the bereaved family.

He said the unity drive would be expanded to include other leaders across the Western region, noting that the Luhya community could only command meaningful bargaining power in national politics if it spoke with one voice and voted as a bloc.

“Our strength lies in unity. As leaders, we have no option but to bring our people together as we look beyond the presidency of President William Ruto,” Wetang’ula said.

The Speaker, who serves in President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration as third in command, said the leaders were mobilising the community to support the President’s re-election, arguing that a strong alliance with the current government would position the region favourably in the future.