Former CS breaks ranks to chart his own path, unveiling a 10-point agenda to economically emancipate the Nyanza region.

The race for 2027 has officially begun, and it has started in the heart of Nyanza. Eliud Owalo, a prominent figure in the current administration, has declared his intention to vie for the presidency, pitching what he calls Kenya’s "Third Liberation." Speaking at the 106th commemoration of his grandfather, Prophet Johanna Owalo, in Oboch, Kisumu, Owalo positioned himself not just as a politician, but as a technocratic savior for a region he claims has been marginalized for too long.

Owalo’s announcement is a seismic shift in the political landscape. Having served as a key ally to President William Ruto, his bid signals a fracture in the ruling coalition or a strategic positioning for bargaining power. His "Third Liberation" is distinct from the first (independence) and the second (multiparty democracy); it is purely economic. "We have the politics, but we lack the ugali," he told the cheering crowd.

The 10-Point Agenda

Owalo is not running on rhetoric alone. He unveiled a structured 10-point development agenda aimed at revitalizing the Lake Region’s dormant economy. The plan focuses on:

• Industrial Revival: Resurrecting the collapsed cotton and sugar industries that once defined Nyanza’s wealth.
• Fisheries: Modernizing the blue economy with cold storage and processing plants to ensure local fisherfolk capture the value chain.
• Agriculture: massive investment in irrigation to end reliance on rain-fed farming and address food insecurity in flood-prone areas like Nyando.

The Nyanza Factor

Support is already mobilizing. Nyanza groups, led by coordinator Edwin Gor, have endorsed Owalo, citing his track record and "results-oriented" approach. They argue that the region needs a leader who understands the mechanics of delivery, not just the theatrics of opposition. However, facing the entrenched loyalty to the Odinga family and the machinery of the current state will be Owalo’s steepest mountain to climb.

"This is not about tribes; it is about transformation," Owalo asserted. As the political drums begin to beat in Kisumu, the question is whether the "Third Liberation" is a genuine movement or a solitary march.