Kumbe Owalo is not playing around—the former ICT CS just dropped a presidential bid bomb at a funeral in Siaya, complete with a full-blown economic rescue plan that has tax cuts, debt audits, and "economic liberation" written all over it. And bana, he made it crystal clear: he's staying in this race till the final whistle, no stepping down vibes.

The Man, The Plan, The Presidential Dreams

Eliud Owalo walked into Mama Alice Achayo's burial in Gem Karariw and basically said, "Pole pole, I'm taking this thing to 2027." The dude voluntarily left government—left cushy cabinet positions—to chase the top job, and at the burial, he wasn't shy about shutting down the whispers. "Some people think Owalo may step down for somebody—that is wishful thinking. I'm in this race for the long haul and I will be on the ballot," he declared. Ndio, lakini this guy is serious serious. He's framing his whole agenda as Kenya's "third and final liberation"—the economic one. And si uone, he's bringing receipts in the form of an economist's toolkit.

Tax Cuts That'll Make Your Wallet Smile

Here's where it gets spicy. Owalo is talking about slashing income tax from 35% to a manageable 20%, dropping VAT from 16% to 10%, cutting corporate tax by 5%, and—get this—abolishing digital tax altogether. Aki, for someone tired of watching their salary disappear into the taxman's pockets, this sounds like a breath of fresh air. But the catch? He's planning to widen the tax base instead, pulling in the youth, the informal sector, and the Jua Kali crews who've been flying under the radar.

Beyond the tax theatre, Owalo's also coming for Kenya's debt crisis with a forensic audit of past borrowed funds and a "zero budget deficit" strategy. He's promising to seal corruption leaks, slash government wastage, and redirect those savings toward free primary education, subsidized secondary schooling, and universal healthcare access. Sijui about you, lakini that's a buffet of promises.

Why This Moment Matters

This isn't just another politician showing up at a funeral with campaign vibes. Owalo is deliberately positioning himself as the economic brain Kenya's been missing—someone with actual credentials who walked away from power to pursue a cleaner vision. Whether Kenyans buy it or not, he's laid out specifics instead of the usual vague "we'll fix things" rhetoric. The 2027 race just got more crowded, and the conversation just got more technical. Whether that's a good thing depends on if tax policy gets your heart racing or puts you to sleep, but one thing's certain: this economy angle is bound to resonate with hustlers tired of being squeezed.

The Jukwaa Take: Owalo just turned a funeral into a policy convention, and honestly, the audacity is either genius or the ultimate sidekick energy—we'll find out in 2027.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya