Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has asked Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna to meet him and explain his political plans before seeking his blessing, after the senator publicly appealed to the former Kakamega governor to support his 2027 ambitions.
Oparanya said Sifuna should not seek his blessing from a distance, but should first sit down with him and explain where he was coming from and where he intended to go politically.
“If you want blessing, you don’t ask for it while you’re on the way. You have to come, then we sit down and talk. Come and sit down with me so that I can know where you are coming from and where you are going,” Oparanya said.
The Cabinet Secretary said he was also carrying ideas that could benefit the people and suggested that he and Sifuna could bring their ideas together.
“I also have ideas that can help our people. Let us put those ideas together,” he said.
Oparanya, however, said his immediate focus remained his work in the broad-based government, where he is serving as Cabinet Secretary.
He said he was focused on making sure Kenyans received the services they deserved.
His remarks came days after Sifuna publicly asked him to bless his political journey as he prepares for the 2027 General Election.
Sifuna made the appeal while speaking during the Linda Mwananchi grassroots mobilisation tour in Sabatia, Kakamega County, on Saturday.
The Nairobi senator described Oparanya as a father who had played an important role in nurturing him politically through the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
“Oparanya, I respect you greatly, but today I have come to Sabatia to ask for your vote. If you support Sifuna, we will not lose,” Sifuna said.
Sifuna then made a direct appeal to Oparanya to support his political journey even if the former governor did not agree with his decision.
“I am asking you to bless me as I embark on this journey, even if you do not agree with me. Just your blessing, not money. I am not asking you for anything else,” Sifuna said.
The exchange has added a new turn to the political relationship between the two leaders, with Sifuna now openly seeking the support of a politician he has described as a father, while Oparanya wants him to first explain his plans in person.
Oparanya had previously said Sifuna was like his political child and had not formally approached him to declare his interest in the presidency.
The former governor had also said Sifuna had not come to him to discuss his plans, while leaving room for the senator to seek his blessing if he chose to pursue the top seat.
The latest remarks suggest that Oparanya is willing to hear Sifuna out, but wants the Nairobi senator to first explain his political plans and how they fit with his own ideas for the people.
Oparanya served as Kakamega governor for two terms and remains an influential political figure in Western Kenya.
He previously served as ODM deputy party leader before joining President William Ruto’s Cabinet as part of the broad-based government.
His political influence has also placed him in discussions around possible running-mate choices for Ruto in the 2027 presidential election.
ODM National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed is among the leaders who have publicly backed Oparanya as a possible running mate for Ruto.
Sifuna, on the other hand, has been using the Linda Mwananchi platform to build support at the grassroots as he and his allies seek to expand their political network ahead of the 2027 elections.
The mobilisation team has included Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale.
The group has recently toured parts of Busia and Kakamega counties as it continues its grassroots activities.
The public exchange between Sifuna and Oparanya now puts their political plans into sharper focus, with Sifuna seeking the blessing of his former political mentor and Oparanya asking him to come forward and explain the journey he wants to take