NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 22 — Former Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has urged President William Ruto to forgo the 2027 presidential race and instead back his bid, arguing it would be a reciprocal gesture for his support in 2022.
Speaking on Chamgei FM, Owalo said he is ready to serve a single term focused on fixing Kenya’s struggling economy before exiting office.
He unveiled an ambitious economic plan featuring sweeping tax cuts, elimination of digital taxes, expansion of the tax base, and a forensic audit of public debt.
Owalo also pledged free education, universal healthcare in public facilities, and a transformation of Kenya into a digital and creative economy.
His remarks signal an early push toward the 2027 race and could reshape political alignments ahead of the election.
Through the agenda, Owalo plans to effect lower taxation levels by reducing Income Tax from 35 percent to 20 percent; Value Added Tax (VAT) from 16 percent to 10 percent; Corporate Tax by 5 percent across board; besides doing away with Digital Taxes.
To compensate for the reduced taxes, Owalo intends to widen the tax base to include an additional 27 million Kenyans currently not paying taxes to the tax bracket by putting in place initiatives to ensure they generate income to enable them pay tax.He also intends to seal out all revenue leakages through digitalization and eliminate wasteful government expenditure.
The former CS at the same time plans to sort out the issue of Public Debt by ensuring zero-budget deficit. He adds that his government plans to undertake forensic audit of all previous public debt to establish whether they were acquired in accordance to the law and to also determine how such debt were utilised.
Another key aspect of his economic transformation agenda, he said was to ensure zero-tolerance to corruption through digitisation of all government operations; and to equally entrench Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.
His government at the same time plans to re-engineer the education sector by ensuring the introduction of free primary education and free day secondary education in all public schools; and to facilitate free health services in all public hospitals.
The regime, he said would effect an ambitious plan to transform Kenya into a digital and creative economy to enable the government create jobs particularly for the Kenyan youth. The transformation agenda would equally see Kenya turned into a leading sporting nation in Africa to also to create more opportunities for the youth.
On the North Rift region, Owalo noted that contrary to public perception that Rift Valley could be economically advantaged because it has so far produced two Kenyan Presidents, the region was still facing the same challenges that other parts of the country faced.
He stated that the challenge the Rift Valley region faced was that it does not have the necessary architecture to convert its vast resources to household prosperity. “Rift valley grows tea, maize, raises the livestock, produces milk, but the wealth does not stay with the Rift valley people. This must change, and my government will change this.” “I am determined to turn the Rift Valley into an economic powerhouse in the East African region,” he added.
Owalo noted that while the national average poverty index stood at 36%, the poverty index in most parts of the region was way above this – Bomet at 47%, Elgeyo Marakwet 44%, Baringo 41%, and West Pokot 68%; with only Nandi and Uashin Gishu below the national average poverty index at 32% and 33% respectively.
The former CS said to correct the economic contradiction in the Rift valley, his presidency will initiate tangible interventions in the respective counties to uplift the economic status of the people.
He noted that Nandi County, for one, possesses high agricultural potential, particularly in tea, dairy, maize, and emerging crops such as avocado; and that the county is also globally recognised as the home of elite athletes, providing a strong foundation for a sports-driven economy.
The Eliud Owalo government, he said, would restructure Nandi into a value-retention economy by establishing local agro-processing industries; guaranteeing minimum farmer incomes; investing in irrigation, storage and mechanisation; and re-engineering sports and talent into formal economic sectors
He said Baringo county on its part, boasts of vast range-lands, a large livestock base, and significant tourism potential through lakes Baringo, and wildlife ecosystems. To tap into the potential, Owalo pledged that his government would transform Baringo into a modern livestock economy by establishing livestock processing plants; upgrading water and irrigation infrastructure; uplifting veterinary services; and stabilizing security to guarantee economic prosperity.
In regard to Bomet, Owalo noted that the county has over 80% arable land, strong rainfall patterns, and significant dairy and tea production capacity. His government, he said, would turn Bomet into a climate-resilient agricultural economy through irrigation and climate-smart farming; establishing cold processing plants; introducing guaranteed minimum returns for farmers; and strengthening cooperative societies.
As for Kericho County, he noted that this was one of Kenya’s most agriculturally endowed counties, but that it was ironic that Kericho grows the tea that the world drinks but the area farmer does not drink from that wealth. “This must change and my government will change this to transform Kericho into a leading agro-industrial and value-added agricultural economy,” he said.
Uasin Gishu, Owalo noted, is one of Kenya’s most productive agricultural regions, with strong potential in maize, dairy, and emerging high value crops; and also has a strong MSME base, with over 19,000 businesses involved in trade.
The county, he said, has the potential of becoming a model agro-industrial and manufacturing hub. He pledged that his government would turn Uasin Gishu County into a model agricultural zone and industrial hub.
In regard to Elgeyo Marakwet, the former CS noted that the area has high agricultural potential, particularly in irrigation zones like Kerio valley, and said his government would prioritise infrastructure-led transformation of the county by building roads, dams and irrigation systems; developing agro-processing industries and enhancing security.
