By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 12 January 2026 - The shock decision by Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo to declare interest in the presidency has triggered a fresh political scramble around one of the most powerful offices in President William Ruto’s administration.
Owalo’s move automatically puts into play a strategic State House position that has, for the first time in decades, given the Nyanza region a direct seat at the very heart of government.
As the political dust settles, Kisumu-based politician Yusuf Ooro has emerged as one of the earliest and most vocal aspirants eyeing to succeed Owalo, arguing that the post should not be allowed to slip out of Nyanza at a time when the region is still rebuilding its relationship with the Kenya Kwanza government.
The seat should be retained in Nyanza.
"Even if it is not me. Let it remain here in Nyanza," he said.
Ooro’s Bid and the Nyanza Argument
Ooro says Owalo’s elevation into national politics has created both a vacuum and an opportunity.
In his view, the Deputy Chief of Staff’s office has become a crucial bridge between State House and a region that has historically felt excluded from the centre of power.
Losing it now, he argues, would reverse the modest but symbolically important gains Nyanza has made under President Ruto’s administration.
He insists that retaining the post in Nyanza is not about ethnic arithmetic but about continuity of engagement, development follow-through and political stability.
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With several national projects in the region still at formative stages, Ooro believes a Nyanza-based insider at State House is better placed to keep them on track and to ensure the region is not sidelined as the 2027 race heats up.
Unlike many politicians from the lakeside who have kept a cautious distance from the Kenya Kwanza government, Ooro has been a consistent supporter of President Ruto.
He backed Ruto’s two-term agenda early, arguing that political stability and policy continuity are what Kenya needs to unlock growth and complete stalled reforms.
That loyalty is now central to his pitch. Ooro presents himself as a bridge figure: rooted in Nyanza politics but aligned to the President’s economic and governance vision.
He says this combination makes him well suited to take over a role that demands both regional credibility and unquestioned trust from the Head of State.
High Stakes for Nyanza and State House
Owalo’s exit from the inner circle, if confirmed, will be more than a routine personnel change. It will reshape how Nyanza is represented at the very top of government at a delicate political moment.
Ooro’s entry into the race underscores how high the stakes are, not just for ambitious politicians but for a region eager to secure its place in the corridors of power.
As Ruto weighs his options, Ooro is hopeful that loyalty, regional balance and political timing will work in his favour — and that Nyanza will not be asked to surrender one of its rare footholds in the State House.
