Eliud Owalo, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency, has resigned shortly after declaring his ambition for the presidency.
In a social media post on January 11, following his announcement to run for the Presidential seat in the 2027 General Election, Owalo submitted his official resignation from the top government position.
Owalo, who served as Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Information, Communication & Digital Economy from late 2022 to mid-2024, confirmed that his resignation is effective immediately.
“Resignation as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Delivery and Government Efficiency
Following my declaration earlier today that I intend to run for the Presidency of the Republic of Kenya 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,” Eliud Owalo said
As of the time of his resignation, Eliud Owalo has yet to unveil the political party under which he will vie for the presidential seat in next year’s elections.
The former Cabinet Secretary will be seeking to unseat his boss, President William Ruto, who appointed him to top government positions until his resignation.
Owalo will face stiff competition not only from Ruto in his bid for the top seat but also from the opposition, which is yet to settle on its presidential candidate.
The leading figures in the United Opposition include former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and Martha Karua.
Eliud Owalo’s experience in leadership
Prior to serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency, Eliud Owalo was Deputy Secretary General in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and later Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and Digital Economy.
His experience in leadership and politics also includes running as a Kibera parliamentary aspirant in the 2019 by-election under the Amani National Congress, though he was unsuccessful.
In addition, Owalo worked as an economic advisor to the Kenya Kwanza Presidential Campaign in 2022.
