Court quashes DPP’s decision to review graft charges against Oparanya
A Nairobi High Court has quashed the decision by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) to review graft charges against the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSME Development, Wycliffe Oparanya.
The DPP, through a letter dated July 8, 2024, sought to review charges of conflict of interest, abuse of office, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption against CS Oparanya.
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Fredrick Mulaa moved to court challenging the nomination and appointment of the former Kakamega governor to the office of the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development.
In his petition, Mulaa argues that Oparanya lacks suitability to serve in his current office because, before the nomination and appointment, he was due for prosecution over graft.
Further, he states that the decision to review the charges against the former county boss was made on July 8, 2024, and was meant to sanitise him for the current position he holds in the government.
“The decision to charge was reviewed on July 8, 2024. The contemplated charges were said to be related to the receipt of Ksh 56,740,325 from the directors of Sabema International Limited and Sesela Resources Limited. “It is this decision, which the petitioner says was whimsical and meant to sanitise the 1st interested party (Wycliffe Oparanya) for the position he was appointed to,” Mulaa states in his petition.
Further, he avers that the nomination and subsequent appointment of CS Oparanya go against the spirit of the Constitution. He cites violations of Articles 10, 73(1) and (2), 75(1), 76(2)(b), and 157(11) of the Constitution and Sections 3(2) and 13 of the Leadership and Integrity Act.
Move quashed
Justice Benjamin Mwikya Musyoki, on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, nullified the DPP’s decision to review the charges against Oparanya, terming the decision as irregular and unconstitutional.
“The respondent’s (DPP) decision to review its decision to charge the first interested party (Wycliffe Oparanya) with the offences of conflict of interest, abuse of office, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption contained in its letter dated July 8, 2024, is irregular and unconstitutional and therefore null and void,” Judge Musyoki ruled.
Oparanya was the Kakamega County Governor until August 2022; two years later, President William Ruto nominated him to the office of the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development, after which he was vetted and cleared to take up the job.
