By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, April 22, 2026 - Former ICT Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo has called on President William Ruto to step aside in the 2027 General Election and support his presidential bid.
Speaking in a radio interview on Chamgei FM on Wednesday, Owalo argued that such a move would be a fair return of political support.
He said he stood with Ruto during the 2022 elections when few leaders from the Luo-Nyanza region backed him.
“It is now Ruto’s turn to support me. I stood with him when it was not popular to do so. Others only joined after he had already won,” Owalo said.
Owalo proposed that Ruto should skip the 2027 race and instead seek a second term in 2032. He promised to serve only one term if elected, focusing on fixing what he described as a struggling economy.
“Let me take charge in 2027, stabilize the economy, and then step aside. Ruto can then return in 2032,” he said.
At the centre of Owalo’s bid is what he calls the “Third Liberation” agenda, which focuses on economic recovery and improving household incomes.
He pledged to lower taxes, including reducing income tax from 35 per cent to 20 per cent, VAT from 16 per cent to 10 per cent, and cutting corporate tax. He also proposed scrapping digital taxes.
To make up for the reduced tax rates, Owalo said his government would widen the tax base by bringing more Kenyans into income-generating activities, enabling them to pay taxes. He also promised to seal revenue leakages through digitization and cut wasteful public spending.
On public debt, Owalo pledged strict fiscal discipline, including running a zero-budget deficit. He said his administration would conduct a forensic audit of all public debt to ensure it was acquired legally and used properly.
He also promised a firm stance against corruption by digitizing government services and strengthening the rule of law.
In the social sector, Owalo pledged to introduce free primary and free day secondary education in public schools, as well as free healthcare services in public hospitals.
He said his government would also invest heavily in the digital and creative economy to create jobs for young people, while promoting sports as a key economic sector.
Turning to the North Rift, Owalo said the region remains poor despite its rich resources.
He noted that although it produces key commodities such as tea, maize, milk and livestock, the benefits do not reach ordinary residents.
“Rift Valley produces wealth, but that wealth does not stay with the people. This must change,” he said.
More from Kenya
Owalo says his government would drive targeted economic transformation across Rift Valley counties by focusing on value addition and productivity.
He cited poverty levels in several counties as evidence of this imbalance, noting that Bomet, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo and West Pokot all have poverty rates above the national average.
Owalo outlined plans to transform the region through targeted investments.
In Nandi, he promised to promote agro-processing, guarantee minimum incomes for farmers, and develop sports as a formal economic sector.
In Baringo, he pledged to modernize livestock farming, improve water and irrigation systems, and boost tourism while enhancing security.
For Bomet, he proposed climate-smart agriculture, irrigation projects, and stronger cooperative societies to support farmers.
In Nandi, he plans to boost agro-processing, guarantee farmer incomes, expand irrigation and modern farming, and turn sports into a structured economic sector.
In Baringo, he aims to modernize livestock farming, improve water and irrigation systems, strengthen veterinary services, and enhance security.
For Bomet, Owalo proposes climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, cold storage, and better farmer returns through stronger cooperatives.
In Kericho, he wants to ensure tea farmers benefit more by promoting value addition and agro-industrial growth.
Owalo said these measures would help turn the Rift Valley into a strong economic region and improve livelihoods.
He also pledges to develop Uasin Gishu into a leading agricultural and industrial hub, while transforming Elgeyo Marakwet through infrastructure development, irrigation expansion, agro-processing, and improved security.
He maintained that his presidency would focus on practical solutions to economic challenges, insisting that his plan offers a clear path to prosperity for ordinary Kenyans.