Owalo Steps Down From State House Role to Focus on 2027 Presidential Race

By James Murimi - Reporter

Kenya, 11 January 2026 - Eliud Owalo has resigned as Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government Efficiency after formally declaring his intention to contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election.

Owalo made the announcement on Sunday evening through a statement posted on his official Facebook page, saying his continued stay in the State House position was incompatible with his newly declared political ambitions.

“Following my declaration earlier today that I intend to run for 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,” Owalo said.

President William Ruto appointed Owalo to the post in August 2024, weeks after dissolving his Cabinet amid mounting political pressure.

The appointment returned Owalo to government after his earlier stint as Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and the Digital Economy.

In his role at State House, Owalo was responsible for coordinating the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of key government programmes and projects under President Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

His office oversaw performance across ministries, departments and agencies, with a focus on efficiency and service delivery.

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Owalo had previously served as ICT Cabinet Secretary from 2022 until July 7, 2024, when President Ruto dismissed all Cabinet Secretaries except Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

When he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff, Owalo publicly thanked the President for entrusting him with the role, describing it as an opportunity to help strengthen government performance.

“It is with deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve our country that I sincerely thank President Dr William Samoei Ruto for appointing me to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for performance and delivery management within the Government,” he said at the time.

His resignation now signals an early start to what is expected to be a competitive 2027 presidential contest, as he joins a growing list of political figures positioning themselves for the race to succeed President Ruto.