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Presidential hopeful Eliud Owalo has dismissed the idea of political zoning, terming it outdated and incompatible with Kenya’s multiparty democratic system.

Speaking at the PAG Church National Women's Convention at the church headquarters in Nyang'ori, Vihiga County, Owalo argued that zoning regions as exclusive strongholds for particular political parties denies Kenyans the freedom to choose their leaders and undermines the spirit of the 2010 Constitution.

“The issue of political zoning is wrong. That’s the bottom line,” he said.

He added, “You cannot say a certain party should exclusively field candidates in a given region, yet we operate under a multiparty democracy.”

Owalo noted that such arrangements often lock out aspirants who fail to secure party tickets, leaving them without alternative platforms to contest leadership positions.

“The net effect is that anyone who does not get the party ticket falls by the wayside because there is no substitute,” he added.

He called for increased political competition across the country, urging parties to field candidates in all regions to give voters a wider pool of leaders to choose from.

“We need a multiplicity of political parties so that Kenyans can have a variety of choices and a good political menu from which to choose,” he said.

According to Owalo, politics should operate like a free market, where there is freedom of entry, exit, and choice, allowing citizens to elect leaders based on merit and track record rather than party dominance.

“Let Kenyans decide whom they want to elect based on their track record and what they have done for the people,” he said.

While stating that he holds no ill will against any political party, Owalo insisted that no region should be treated as a political preserve.

“You cannot subject Kenyans to political monopoly in a given region. Let us have as many parties as possible and candidates for each and every position,” he said.

He also warned that the era of political leaders imposing candidates on voters is over, noting that Kenyans are now more informed and independent in their decision-making.

“The time when individuals would move around dictating who should run where is gone. Kenyans today are very intelligent, and it is not going to happen,” he said.

Owalo cautioned leaders relying on political monopolies to secure support, saying they risk rejection in future elections.

“Any leader benefiting from political monopoly is living on borrowed time. Kenyans will teach them a lesson,” he said.