University students and youth leaders from institutions of higher learning across the country have vowed to support the former ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo’s presidential bid in the upcoming 2027 General Election.
Speaking at a Kisii hotel on the outskirts of Kisii town, the students said they were rallying behind the former CS whose agenda aligned with their “Third Liberation” ambition of creating jobs, skills, enterprise, dignity and ownership for the young people.
The youth forum noted that despite the creativity and willingness to build this country, the majority of the Kenyan youth remain unemployed and underemployed, with limited access to affordable credit and weak skills-to-jobs pathways.
“We support Eliud Owalo’s presidential bid because his agenda addresses youth exclusion by re-engineering the economy to create jobs through production and retain earnings at the point of production where the youth are,” stated the youth.
The group highlighted Owalo’s track record as the ICT CS, including the establishment of digital hubs at the ward level and expansion of internet connectivity, smart devices, and digital platforms, all of which facilitated the creation of hundreds of thousands of digital jobs for the youth.
The youth movement also cited Owalo’s proposed tax and debt management policies, which include the removal of all digital taxes for the youth, reduction of internet access cost by 50 percent and reducing income tax to 20 percent.
Besides his mandate as the CS, the students also pointed out Owalo’s commitment to sports development through football and basketball tournaments that have produced educational sponsorships locally and abroad for youth to professional clubs.
The forum said they will mobilise their peers across campuses and counties to build a national movement of young people committed to economics, opportunity and ownership, and not tokenism.
Last month, Owalo resigned as Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government Efficiency after declaring his intention to run for Presidency in 2027.
By Mercy Osongo
