Migori Senator Eddy Oketch has dismissed concerns that Eliud Owalo’s presidential bid could disrupt calculations for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Speaking to Milele FM on Thursday, January 15, 2025, Oketch described Owalo as “like a child playing with his father’s shoes” and said he does not take him seriously.

“Owalo ni kama mtoto ambaye anacheza na viatu za baba yake,” Oketch stated.

“Unajua kuwa president sio, haiwezi kuwa goal ya maisha ya mtu. Ata mimi goal yangu haiwezi kuwa nataka kuwa governor. Goal yangu lazima ikuwe niko na agenda ya kutransform the lives of our people. Tunaanzianga na agenda. Agenda ni gani? Sasa ukiskia anasema anataka kusimama president, umeskia agenda akiongea hapo? Sasa, ni mtu mimi siwezi ongelelea.”

Oketch’s comments came in the wake of Owalo’s resignation as Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency. Owalo quit his government post on January 11, 2026, following his announcement that he would run for the presidency in 2027 against President William Ruto.

Owalo quits

In a statement posted on Facebook, Owalo said his position in government was no longer tenable after he declared his intent to challenge Ruto.

“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,” he wrote.

Owalo has framed his presidential bid as a step towards working directly for Kenyans rather than political individuals. He told supporters that his past political experiences had shaped his resolve to chart an independent path.

Speaking during the commemoration of the 106th anniversary of his grandfather, Prophet Johanna Owalo, at Oboch in Rarieda constituency, he said he wants to “change the paradigm” and serve the country in a more direct way.

Owalo’s political career has been varied. He has previously worked with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi at the Amani National Congress and with the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga, serving as his chief campaign manager in 2013.

He later joined President Ruto’s camp ahead of the 2022 elections and 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.