Luo Nyanza hopes rest on three Ruto men

When they decided to join President William Ruto’s camp, they were viewed as the community’s traitors, but after landing lucrative positions in the Kenya Kwanza administration, they are now the hope of the Luo Nyanza region regarding development projects.

During campaigns for the August 9 elections, any politician supporting Dr Ruto in Luo Nyanza, a region dominated by the politics of Odingaism, would be called all sorts of names.

But now, for remaining loyal to President Ruto, ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo and Principal Secretary-nominees Dr Raymond Omollo and Alfred Ombudo K’Ombudo for Interior and Trade, respectively, have emerged victorious for taking the biggest gamble.

Besides Mr Owalo, who announced publicly that he had joined Dr Ruto’s camp after leaving Amani National Congress (ANC), where he had landed first after disagreeing with ODM boss Raila Odinga, both Dr Omollo and Mr K’Ombudo kept their political moves close to their chests.

Mr Owalo was part of Dr Ruto’s presidential team, while the other two worked in the shadows for Kenya Kwanza.

Bargain for development

With his appointment as Cabinet secretary in the Kenya Kwanza administration, the political ratings of Mr Owalo have increased, with many residents of Mr Odinga’s stronghold hoping that the position will allow him to bargain for development for the region.

He came into the political limelight in 2013 when he was appointed head of Raila Odinga’s campaign secretariat when the ODM leader ran for President under the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord).

Mr Owalo was a close ally of Mr Odinga until ODM denied him ticket for the Kibra parliamentary seat and handed it to the late Ken Okoth.

Two years after the 2017 General Election, he resigned as member of the Orange party, citing a ‘clashing of ideologies’.

Read: Eliud Owalo: Dizzying rise from Raila point man to Ruto's Cabinet

Award-winning adviser

Mr K’Ombudo, who hails from Kisumu County, is a son of former Nyakach MP Ojwang’ K’Ombudo, who was a minister during the reign of Mzee Daniel Moi. The senior K’Ombudo was informed about his own appointment four days after his nomination, on his return from a trip overseas.

His son Mr K’Ombudo, the PS-nominee for Trade, was part of Dr Ruto’s economic advisory council during campaigns chaired by Dr David Ndii and whose secretary was Augustine Cheruoyot. The team came up with the “bottom-top” up economic model. The team was in charge of preparation and approval of county charters.

Mr K’Ombudo is a multi-award-winning adviser of African governments, offering solutions to the most complex development challenges they face, and has experience in over 14 African countries.

Through senior assignments at the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), East Africa Trade and Investment Hub and International Trade Centre, Mr K’Ombudo has designed and implemented ground-breaking economic development, trade and investment projects.

New power man at Interior

Dr Omollo, the current Lake Basin Development Authority managing director, will take over from Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, who headed the department under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Dr Omollo, who hails from Homa Bay County and is credited with playing a key role in the campaigns of Kenya Kwanza, now enters the President’s inner circle.

The powerful docket returns to Luo Nyanza 31 years after the exit of permanent secretary Hezekiah Oyugi on October 27, 1991.

Mr Oyugi was one of the most influential men in the administration of Mzee Moi before the two fell out.

Many residents of Mr Odinga’s stronghold now hope that the positions of the three will allow them to bargain for development projects in the region.

Some leaders from Nyanza, led by former Nairobi governor Dr Evans Kidero, have welcomed President Ruto's appointments and promised to work with him.

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