Africa-Press – Kenya. Former Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo has promised an intensified crackdown on corruption, warning that individuals found guilty in graft cases would face jail terms.
Speaking in Mabole, Butere, Kakamega County, during the burial of Grace Alwanga, Owalo claimed that a small group of individuals controls a disproportionate share of the country’s wealth, alleging that nearly 90 per cent of Kenya’s money is in the hands of about 125 people.
Owalo, who has declared his intention to run for the presidency, said corruption has entrenched inequality in the country, leaving millions of Kenyans struggling while a few individuals accumulate vast resources.
He pledged to reopen all corruption cases reported under the current constitution if elected, vowing to ensure accountability.
“Approximately 90 per cent of the wealth belonging to Kenya is in the hands and pockets of 125 individuals only. If elected as President, I will reveal their details, so we can know who these individuals are who have been stealing public funds,” Owalo said.
He added that those found guilty of graft would face imprisonment at Kamiti Maximum Prison rather than using the stolen wealth to finance their political ambitions.
Owalo’s remarks come amid growing public debate on wealth inequality and the effectiveness of Kenya’s anti-corruption institutions, with critics arguing that high-level impunity has undermined public trust in governance.
During the same event, former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya called on leaders and residents of Western Kenya to unite politically, saying cohesion would be key to gaining national influence.
Owalo, who has held various executive positions, including Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and Digital Economy, announced his resignation in a social media statement released on Sunday, January 11.
According to Owalo, his resignation followed his public declaration of running for the president position in the 2027 general elections, an announcement he made during the 106th commemoration of the passing of his grandfather, Prophet Johanna Owalo, the founder of the Nomiya Church, at the church’s headquarters in Oboch, Kisumu County.
Aside from the promise to clamp down on corruption and the indiscriminate wealth gap, Owalo promised to slash income tax to 20 per cent and VAT to 10 per cent to relieve Kenyans’ take-home pay.
According to Owalo, the lower tax rates would increase compliance by making taxation fairer and more affordable, while stimulating consumption and savings across the economy.
