The political grip of former Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya on the county’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) wing has been decisively broken after Governor Fernandes Barasa clinched the powerful position of County Chairman.
In a charged delegates’ meeting at Bishop Stam, Barasa swept nine out of twelve constituency chairmanships, leaving Oparanya’s ally, Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera, with only three.
The outcome signaled a clear rejection of Oparanya’s influence in the county party leadership.
Tensions flared when Nabwera’s camp allegedly attempted ballot stuffing, but delegates resisted the move, forcing the process to continue transparently. In the end, the numbers delivered a resounding victory for Barasa.
The results mark a significant realignment within ODM in Kakamega, long considered Oparanya’s political stronghold.
With Barasa now firmly in charge, analysts say the outcome could reshape succession politics and the balance of power in Western Kenya ahead of 2027.
