Former Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has dismissed claims that President William Ruto fired him for secretly working for Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Speaking during an interview on Ramogi FM, Owalo termed the allegations as false, misleading, and politically motivated, insisting that he never held any secret meeting with Gachagua after the latter's impeachment.
According to the former CS, the last time he met Gachagua alongside the former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi was during a cabinet meeting while the duo were still in government.
"I was not dismissed for meeting Gachagua. I have not met him recently. The last time I met Gachagua and Linturi was in a cabinet meeting," Owalo clarified.
He said that if he were to reconsider and choose to work with Gachagua or any other leader, he would do so transparently and in full view of the public.
Owalo referenced his 2019 decision, where he publicly declared his support for President Ruto at a time when such a move was greatly opposed by most Kenyans in the Nyanza region.
"If I want to work with Gachagua even now, I will come out openly and declare my stand in the glare of the public. In the same way, I came out publicly in 2019 and declared my decision to work with Ruto," he added.
During the interview, Owalo rejected suggestions that he is a political project of President Ruto, firmly dismissing the claims and portraying himself as an independent and bold thinker.
"Again, I am not Ruto's project. What many people do not know is that I am a very brave person. If it were Ruto's project, I could not have resigned. It is easier to work with him while in government as opposed to when I am out," Owalo stated.
Owalo's latest remarks come hardly a week after he announced his resignation from Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government Efficiency to vie for the presidency.
"Following my declaration earlier today that I intend to run for the presidency in 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," the former CS said.
The former CS noted that his decision to resign came after thorough consultations and feedback, lessons learnt and also emerging issues in the operational environment.
