Cooperatives CS Wycliffe Oparanya on Thursday protested what he termed chronic underfunding of his office, warning against being turning into ‘a beggar’ while executing official duties.
Appearing before a parliamentary committee, the CS lamented the allocation to his office was too little to effectively discharge his responsibilities.
He told the National Assembly’s Trade Committee the situation had at times left him stranded during official engagements.
“I don’t know if my office is recognised as an office of Cabinet secretary in this government, all the time I have to come here to ask for money for operations,” Oparanya protested.
He told MPs he occasionally finds himself unable to facilitate government activities, forcing him to seek financial help from principal secretaries within the ministry.
“When I get out [for official duties], I sometimes get stranded and unable to fuel and have to plead with my principal secretaries,” Oparanya told the committee chaired by Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali.
“I don’t want to continue to be a beggar from my juniors. I feel my appearance is not for nothing, it is for something.”
The former Kakamega governor urged lawmakers to consider allocating his office at least Sh200 million to enable smooth operations and coordination of ministry activities.
“At least I need Sh200 million in that office to enable me to operate,” he said.
He was accompanied by his PSs Patrick Kilemi (Cooperatives) and Susan Mang’eni (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development).
They were deliberating on the annual budget estimates for 2026-27 financial year.
He argued that the current budgetary allocation does not match the demands of the office, especially at a time when the ministry is handling critical programmes targeting vulnerable Kenyans.
The CS further appealed to the committee to review the ministry’s financial needs favourably in the upcoming budget cycle, insisting that adequate facilitation was necessary for efficient service delivery.
PS Mang’eni told the committee the financial inclusion fund (Hustler fund) did not get any allocation in the proposed budget.
This is even after the fund had been allocated Sh300 million in the Budget Policy Statement (BPS).
“The Financial Inclusion Fund has not been provided with a budgetary allocation in the proposed FY 2026-27 Budget Estimates,” Oparanya stated.
“However, in the Budget Policy Statement (BPS), the fund had been allocated Sh300 million, hence the observed reduction in the GoK allocation.
She said the fund requires additional Sh56 billion to effectively meet the requirements of Kenyans.
“The fund currently requires Sh5 billion to enhance liquidity for clients who have opted into the programme but are unable to access borrowing facilities, particularly under the bridge loan product (Business Loan Product with a Limit of Sh150,000),” she noted.
The fund, she noted, further requires Sh110 million for recruitment of technical personnel to strengthen institutional capacity and ensure effective delivery of current and emerging priorities.
The PS also noted the Fund has hit Sh87 billion across 27 million registered borrowers since 2022.
