Eliud Owalo quits govt role, declares 2027 presidential bid against Ruto
By Cy Muganda, January 12, 2026Eliud Owalo has resigned from his government position as Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency, hours after declaring his intention to run for president in the 2027 elections.
In a statement posted on his Facebook account on Sunday, January 11, 2026, Owalo said his position in government was no longer tenable following his decision to challenge President William Ruto in the upcoming polls.
“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,” Owalo stated.
He said he had stepped aside from the role with immediate effect.
“I have therefore resigned from the position with immediate effect,” he added.
Presidential bid
Owalo’s resignation comes hours after he stated that his past political experiences had shaped his resolve to chart an independent path as a presidential candidate.
Speaking during the commemoration of the 106th anniversary of his grandfather, Prophet Johanna Owalo, the founder of the Nomiya Church, at Oboch in Rarieda constituency, Owalo reflected on his political journey as lessons that have prepared him for the ultimate leadership role.
“Come 2027, I want to change the paradigm. I will not continue to work for political individuals, but I want to work for the Kenyan people. And in that regard, informed by the lessons I have learnt in the past, emerging issues in the operational environment, and feedback I have received from various stakeholder forums which I have held over the past month,” he stated.
“I have today made a deliberate and conscious decision that come the year 2027, I will be submitting myself as a candidate for the purposes of the presidential race in the elections for the purposes of the presidency in the republic of Kenya,” Owalo declared.
Political career
Owalo has had a diverse political career, having previously worked closely with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi at Amani National Congress and with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, serving as his chief campaign manager in 2013.
However, they fell out, and Owalo eventually joined Ruto’s camp ahead of the 2022 elections.
After Ruto won the presidency, Owalo served as Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy before being moved to the Office of the President as Deputy Chief of Staff, where he oversaw government service delivery and efficiency.