The head of the National Communication Centre, Charles Owino, has alleged a plot to remove Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo from office ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former police spokesperson and a one-time gubernatorial contestant for Siaya County alleged that a plot to oust the PS is being schemed by some members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Responding to some reports that have suggested a scheme to drag the name of the PS into the ongoing investigation into the passing away of former Kasipul MP Ong'ondo Were, Owino alleged that the scheme to get the PS sacked was emanating from the ODM members.
According to Owino, ODM members have begun the plot due to the perceived power and influence around the position of the Interior PS, which they think should go to their insider following the Memorandum of Understanding between the party and United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
''What is happening in Homabay is that there is a fear of the unknown, and I know that currently, without appearing to support any of the factions between UDA and ODM. But there is a huge plot to have the PS removed from his position before the 2027 elections," Owino alleged.
However, Owino maintained that Omollo was just yet another victim of political interests and realignments as the 2027 elections get nearer.
''There is a lot of emotion in this matter, and people are trying to whip up emotions in this matter. This is all being done with a simple intention to have him sacked from his position. They are doing that because they think the position is quite influential,'' Owino stated
''This is because his position is one of influence, and therefore, as we move towards 2027, there is that fear.''
Omollo, a former Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) Managing Director, was appointed to the position in 2022, taking over from his predecessor, Dr Karanja Kibicho.
Omollo was among 51 PSs that President Ruto nominated on November 2, 2022. However, a number of those he was nominated with have since been shown the door following the realignments in government.
The PS, largely viewed as an insider of President William Ruto, is a trained biostatistician. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of Nairobi in 2002 before attaining a certificate in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Biostatistics from the University of Washington two years later.
He holds a Masters Degree in Biometry from the University of Nairobi, which he got between 2004 and 2006 before acquiring a PhD in applied statistics from Maseno University in 2015.
Prior to joining LBDA, Omollo worked as a data manager at the UoN until 2006 before crossing over to be Head of the Data Centre and Statistician at the Data for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) until his major move in 2019.
