Former ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has bounced back, securing a plum position in President William Ruto's government that will put him in a strategic position ahead of 2027 elections as he seeks to chart his own independent political path.
On 23 August 2024, President William Ruto appointed Eliud Owalo as the New Deputy Chief of Staff and Delivery Management.
In his new role, Owalo will be policing the Public Service Performance Management Unit (PSPMU) and the Government Delivery Unit (GDU).
In an official statement dated 3 September 2024 Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service Felix Koskei wrote to Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Attorney General, and all Chief Executive Officers of State Corporations and statutory bodies requesting them to cooperate with Owalo in his new role as he oversees the implementation of Kenya Kwanza's projects.
It will be Owalo's responsibility to create and put into place a system for performance contracting and assessment that will apply to all CSs and other senior members of the Executive.
Owalo officially began his new role on Wednesday 4 September when he accompanied the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service Felix Koskei to the monthly meeting with Principal Secretaries.
The meeting took stock of the implementation of priority Government programs and the necessary interventions to enhance performance and fastrack service delivery.
Eliud Owalo's new role adds to the growing list of powerful positions under the Executive Office of the President.
His appointment means that State House will now have two Deputy Chiefs of Staff as Owalo is joining Josephat Nanok, appointed to the position in 2022.
Nanok chairs weekly meetings with the advisory teams and forwards their outcomes to the Head of Public Service.
Owalo on the other hand will be tasked with ensuring government projects are implemented as the Kenya Kwanza government continues to face widespread criticism over stalled projects.
Other offices under the Executive Office of the President include Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, President’s Council of Economic Advisors, Secretary to the Cabinet, and State House Comptroller among many others.
