By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 12 December 2025 - Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President, Eliud Owalo, has urged Luo leaders to focus on economic transformation rather than engaging in succession politics aimed at succeeding former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
During his final day of his 4-day tour of development projects in Siaya County, Owalo dismissed calls to position any individual as the next political kingpin in the region, warning that “selfish kingpin politics” neglects the needs and aspirations of ordinary citizens.
Owalo emphasised that the future of Nyanza should be measured by development outcomes rather than political allegiances.
“Leaders must be sensitive to the plight of the people. That is why President William Ruto’s administration is focused on a bottom-up economic transformation agenda aimed at empowering the common man,” he said.
He urged residents to support the Ruto administration, noting that the government is committed to delivering diligent services that improve livelihoods.
“President Ruto means well for the common good of all, and our focus is to empower wananchi through tangible development,” Owalo added.
The remarks come amid a brewing succession debate within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Even after Raila Odinga’s elder brother, Dr Oburu Oginga Odinga, was appointed as the new de facto party leader, several top ODM officials have been actively campaigning as the “best placed” to succeed Raila.
The moves have raised concerns over factionalism within the party and the possibility that personal ambitions may overshadow the party’s policy agenda. Owalo’s intervention appears aimed at redirecting political discourse from individual succession to broader development goals.
During his tour of Nyanza, Owalo highlighted government-backed projects that illustrate the benefits of a development-focused agenda.
He pointed to the KSh 1.9 billion Dho Goye Bridge connecting Siaya and Busia counties, with KSh 900 million already invested by the national government.
The bridge, expected to be completed early next year, will enhance trade, tourism, and fishing, linking communities to wider economic opportunities.
Owalo also visited the stalled library project at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University, which was reactivated earlier this year.
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He underscored the government’s commitment to education as a driver of regional development.
At the Nyamor ICT Hub, part of a nationwide rollout of 100 model hubs, he emphasized youth empowerment through digital skills.
The hub, capable of accommodating 300 young people for training and online work, exemplifies the administration’s strategy of equipping citizens for a modern economy. “Our focus is to empower young people with skills that allow them to thrive locally and globally,” Owalo said.
The Deputy Chief of Staff also highlighted other ongoing initiatives, including the Koru-Soin Dam, which will provide water, electricity, and irrigation; the upgrading of Kisumu International Airport to support cargo exports; and the Lake Region Ring Road aimed at opening trade across western Kenya. He noted opportunities in agro-processing, mining, and the sugar industry, with factories for potatoes, hides and skins, soapstone, tea, and avocados already in the pipeline.
Owalo dismissed the notion of political kingpins in Nyanza, arguing that the region’s future lies in economic projects rather than personal ambitions.
“If Nyanza is to have any kingpin, it should be an economic kingpin, not the selfish politics of a political kingpin,” he said.
By framing development as the true measure of leadership, he urged Luo leaders to prioritize tangible results over succession campaigns.
In his appeal to residents, Owalo encouraged support for the Ruto administration, emphasizing that the government’s policies are designed to empower ordinary citizens through infrastructure, job creation, and resource management.
He stressed that sustainable development, rather than political positioning, should guide leadership choices in Nyanza and across Kenya.
As the 2027 elections approach, Owalo’s intervention may redefine the political discourse in the region, steering attention toward infrastructure, youth empowerment, and economic transformation as benchmarks of effective leadership.
For Owalo, and by extension the Ruto administration, political legitimacy will be measured by delivery of services and economic opportunities, not by succession ambitions or the perpetuation of party dynasties.
