This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
On August 26, 2019, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched an investigation into the acquisition of a Sh250 million hotel in Kisumu by Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
The probe, which was leaked to the public, alleges that Oparanya bought the St John Manor hotel using public funds believed to have been embezzled from the county government of Kakamega.
St John's Manor hotel is a three-star facility located along the Nerhu Road in Kisumu town and borders the lucrative Kisumu Impala Sanctuary and the exclusive Kisumu Yacht Club.
The hotel is a preferred choice for nearly all governors from the Lake Basin Region when holding meetings in Kisumu, with room rates ranging between Sh6,000 and Sh9,000 per night.
According to the hotel's website, the facility features a swimming pool, fully air-conditioned rooms, a private balcony, laundry services, and airport pickup services.
When contacted by the Star, Oparanya denied any involvement in the hotel's acquisition, stating that he neither owns the hotel nor has any interest in it.
'I don't own that hotel and I have never owned it. If they want to investigate, let them go and do so,' Oparanya said in a telephone interview.
He added, 'There is nothing wrong with me owning a hotel. Even if I owned it, I would gladly say so. What is wrong with owning a hotel?'
