Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government efficiency Eliud Owalo has resigned from the President William Ruto administration.
Owalo, who has held various executive positions, including Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and Digital Economy, announced his resignation in a social media statement released on Sunday, January 11.
According to Owalo, his resignation followed his public declaration of running for the president position in the 2027 general elections.
"Following my declaration earlier today that I intend to run for the Presidency of the Republic of Kenya in the year 2027, my position as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Delivery and Government Efficiency is no longer Tenable. I have therefore resigned from the position with immediate effect," he stated.
Earlier on Sunday, the former CS publicly declared his interest in the country's top seat while attending a church service in Siaya County.
"I have today made a deliberate and conscious decision that cometh the year 2027, I will be submitting myself as a candidate for purposes for the presidential race in the election for purposes of the presidency of Kenya," Owalo announced.
He added that his decision came after having a series of consultations and feedback, lessons learnt and also emerging issues in the operational environment.
Owalo said he has previously served under and alongside several senior political leaders, giving his best in those roles, but believes the time has come to shift his focus to directly serving Kenyans, a conviction that has informed his decision to vie for the country’s top office.
His role in the Office of the President included managing the Government Delivery Unit (GDU) and the Public Service Performance Management Unit (PSPMU), where he was responsible for ensuring the efficient execution of government programs and tracking the performance of the Executive.
Before serving in the office of the president as Deputy Chief of Staff, Owalo had served as Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and the Digital Economy from 2022 to 2024.
During his tenure as CS, he was involved in initiatives such as the rollout of fiber optic cable and public Wi-Fi hotspots. He also spearheaded the establishment of digital laboratories and ICT hubs under the "Jitume" and "Ajira" programs. By the time of his transition from the ministry, he had successfully operationalized over 274 hubs and distributed approximately 16,804 digital devices to these centers.
Prior to his appointment to the executive in 2022, Owalo had also served as the head of the Presidential Secretariat for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in 2013.
Owalo's interest in running for the presidency has, however, initiated debate among locals and leaders, especially from the Nyanza region, where he traditionally hails from.
Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo dismissed Owalo’s presidential declaration as unrealistic, terming it as “hot air,” a “wild goose chase,” and a “fool’s errand.”
