Owalo pitches ‘third liberation’ in 2027 presidential bid

What motivates you to run for the presidency?

Kenya today is a nation of deep contradictions. We are rich in natural resources, agricultural capacity, mineral wealth, and human capital, yet nearly forty per cent of Kenyans live in poverty and we remain among the most unequal societies in the world.

We produce abundantly, but retain very little where production occurs. Most of the value created benefits secondary producers, who are a minority, while primary producers, who form the majority, remain trapped in poverty.

We tax aggressively, yet collect from a narrow base. We borrow heavily, yet lose enormous public resources through corruption and inefficiency. These contradictions are not accidental; they are structural.

Kenya’s challenge is not a shortage of ideas. Since Independence, the country has produced many well-crafted policy papers, sessional papers, and economic recovery plans. They look good on paper, but ordinary Kenyans have not felt their impact.

An Eliud Owalo presidency proposes Kenya’s Third Liberation: an economic liberation. This will free Kenyans from inherited systems that are extractive and exploitative, sustained by patronage networks that benefit a small elite.

My agenda prioritises closing the gap between policy and practice through execution, accountability, and measurable results. Corruption, which costs Kenya up to one-fifth of the national budget, will be tackled through zero tolerance, building on my record as ICT Cabinet Secretary, where my ministry was consistently ranked among the least corrupt and best performing.

I am running for President to resolve these contradictions.

What are the key issues you will address if elected?

1. Tax reduction

I will re-engineer Kenya’s fiscal space by:

• Reducing income tax from thirty-five per cent to twenty per cent

• Reducing VAT from sixteen per cent to ten per cent

• Lowering corporate tax by five percentage points for a three-year cycle

• Abolishing all digital taxes

2. Fighting corruption

My administration will adopt zero tolerance and move from reactive enforcement to preventive systems. Government services and procurement will be fully digitised, public finance will be tracked in real time, and transparent dashboards will make corruption difficult to hide and impunity impossible to sustain.

All major corruption cases under the current constitution will be reopened and investigated to a conclusion. Through forensic audits, we will trace and seize corruption-related assets anywhere in the world, whether their owners are alive or deceased.

3. Tackling unemployment

Kenya’s economic model excludes most citizens from meaningful participation in high-potential value chains such as agriculture, the blue economy, mining, and the digital sector.

Most Kenyans remain stuck in low-return activities, while profits are captured by intermediaries, cartels, and capital-intensive players. This model rewards downstream actors while punishing upstream producers.

An Owalo administration will re-engineer value chains to expand ownership and employment. We will invest in aggregation centres, cold storage, local processing, cooperative marketing, and guaranteed minimum returns.

Reducing digital taxes will unlock youth-led innovation and MSME growth. Developing sports as a structured employment sector will also create diverse job opportunities.

4. Reducing external debt

Kenya borrows because spending exceeds revenue. This increases interest costs, crowds out private investment, and burdens future generations.

Under my administration, there will be no budget deficit. Borrowing will only be for self-financing projects capable of repaying their own debt, in line with Article 201(c) and Chapter 12 of the Constitution.

A comprehensive legal audit of all public debt will be conducted by the Auditor-General to verify constitutional compliance.

5. Improving the business environment

Kenya must become predictable and pro-enterprise. Measures will include:

• A single digital business permit system

• Automated tax collection at source, eliminating the need to file returns

6. Upholding the rule of law

Justice must be predictable and enforcement non-negotiable. Investigations and prosecutions will be insulated from political pressure and driven by evidence.

Digital governance will reduce discretion and close loopholes for impunity. When contracts are traceable and consequences certain, corruption collapses.

7. Reducing income inequality

Inequality in Kenya is structural. We will broaden participation rather than enrich elites.

By expanding the tax base through higher incomes rather than higher tax rates, we will grow the economy while ensuring that those who create value benefit first.

Does your resignation signal a lack of confidence in the government?

It is a vote of confidence in myself. In a constitutional democracy, leadership does not require uniformity of thought. My resignation created the independence needed to pursue a national renewal agenda without conflict of office.

How do you assess the performance of the current government?

I leave that judgment to Kenyans. However, it would have been prudent to return to citizens and report on the commitments made during the campaign.

Shifting from the BETA Plan to a “Singapore” vision without accounting for BETA results appears escapist and deceitful.

How do you respond to claims of a tacit understanding with the President?

I reject that narrative. I supported President Ruto openly between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty-two. It makes no sense to resign from government only to work secretly with him.

My candidature is driven by the Third Liberation agenda and a record of delivery, not secret arrangements.

Which political vehicle will you use?

I will announce the political party at the appropriate time.

Where does your core support lie, and how will you expand it?

My support base is economic, not tribal: farmers, workers, MSMEs, youth, and women.

I will expand nationally by organising around livelihoods and value chains and addressing shared economic pain points.

Kenya has witnessed youth-led protests and growing disenchantment. How will you respond?

Youth empowerment will be treated as an economic strategy anchored in production, skills, ownership, and dignity.

Women remain structurally excluded from capital and markets. Kenya cannot prosper while women are locked out of economic power.

Do you have the resources to mount a serious campaign?

The strongest political currency is trust. This will be a disciplined, transparent, people-driven campaign.

If the race becomes unwinnable, who would you support?

My guiding principle will be to protect the Third Liberation agenda, producer-first reforms, anti-corruption systems, and delivery discipline, regardless of political formation.

What is your competitive advantage in twenty twenty-seven?

Kenya needs a manager and technocrat, not a business-as-usual politician. My advantage lies in clean leadership, proven delivery and a clear promise: Third Liberation through tangible outcomes, not slogans.