Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya addressing journalists at Integrity center in Nairobi on August 23, 2023.
The United States government has urged Parliament to reject all cabinet nominees with integrity issues.
The US made the statement through its embassy on a day the National Assembly began vetting President William Ruto's cabinet nominees. President Ruto was forced by the protesting youth to dissolve his cabinet over allegations of corruption, incompetence, arrogance and insensitive display of arrogance.
“As Kenyans look ahead to the vetting of Cabinet nominees beginning today, we recognize the importance of integrity in public service and the National Assembly’s vital role in upholding Chapter Six of Kenya’s Constitution,” the Embassy said in a statement posted on X.
Chapter Six of the Constitution provides for the observance of the highest standards of integrity, competence and diligence by public officers.
The statement comes barely a day after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly expressing reservations over the nomination of former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya to the Cabinet.
The National Assembly's Appointments Committee, chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, has also received a number of petitions, some of which object to the nominations.
In the letter, EACC Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak noted that the graft investigation into President William Ruto's nominee for the position of Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development is still ongoing.
“The commission conducted an investigation on allegations of corruption against the nominee for offences committed during his stint as the Governor of Kakamega County,” said a letter sign by the EACC boss.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Mr Mbarak noted that the Commission submitted a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommending that Mr Oparanya be prosecuted on various charges including conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, conflict of interest, abuse of office and money laundering.
While Mr Oparanya has been granted a conservatory order suspending any arrest or prosecution on the basis of information obtained by the EACC under investigation warrants issued to it, Mr Mbarak noted that the matter is still pending in court.
“The conservatory order was issued by the High Court in Kakamega Constitutional and Human Rights Petition No.E019 of 2023,” noted the letter to the Clerk dated July 29, 2024.
EACC has also filed an application for preservation orders against assets of the nominee, where the former county chief is suspected to be in possession of proceeds of corruption arising from the conflict of interest.
