Co-operatives and MSMEs Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has publicly expressed frustration over what he described as inadequate funding for his ministry, saying the lack of proper budget allocations has left him struggling to run his office effectively.
Speaking on Thursday before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Oparanya said he was repeatedly forced to seek financial assistance from Parliament and even depend on junior officers within the ministry to facilitate official duties.
The CS appeared before the committee alongside MSMEs Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni and Cooperatives Principal Secretary Patrick Kilemi during discussions on the Financial Year 2026/27 budget estimates.
“I have to come here all the time to get money for my office’s operations. I don’t know if my office is recognised as one of the offices of CS in this government or not,” Oparanya stated.
“I will plead with you that at least I should get allocation appropriately pointed out by the PS Cooperatives, that at least I need Ksh.200 million to enable my office to operate.”
Oparanya revealed that his office lacks adequate operational funding, at times forcing him to seek support from the two Principal Secretaries serving under him.
“I have to depend on these PSs. When I go out, I’m stuck out there, there’s no fuel, and I have to call any of them because they’re accounting officers, they always sign for themselves. So I don’t want to continue being a beggar from my juniors. I hope you’ve heard that.”
During the session, the CS also defended the importance of cooperatives in supporting farmers and small businesses, saying the sector remains critical in linking producers to markets and improving livelihoods.
He further appealed for increased funding towards programmes targeting small and medium-sized enterprises, including the Uwezo Fund, NYOTA programme, Kenya Industrial Estates, Constituency Industrial Development Centres and the East African Community MSME Trade Fair.
According to Oparanya, strengthening such programmes would help create jobs, expand market access and support business growth across the country.
