Eliud Owalo: The multi-millionaire tree grower hoping to succeed Joe Mucheru

ICT and Digital Economy CS nominee Eliud Owalo at County Hall in Nairobi on October 21, 2022. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary nominee Eliud Owalo says he'll make efforts to revive the Kenya Posta and the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).

Owalo said he'll champion revenue diversification mechanisms for the parastatals that are currently making losses, thus forcing them to over-depend on State funding.

Owalo was interviewed by MPs on Friday, October 21.

The strategy expert, who previously worked under Raila Odinga, revealed his net worth as Sh645 million.

He placed the value of his two homes at Sh190 million - Sh120 million for Nairobi home and Sh70 million for his Siaya home.

He also said that he has land valued at Sh200 million.

He also grows trees commercially, with the venture earning him Sh160 million.

At the same time, he has four vehicles, collectively valued at Sh15 million.

He also said that he has an incomplete hotel valued at Sh80 million. He projects that upon completion of the hotel construction, its value will rise to Sh293 million.

The CS nominee said he'll oversee the implementation of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act and the Data Protection Act.

Asked on his commitment to media freedom, Owalo said he'll champion for a free press, stating that the media has the ability to self-regulate.

He further said that government advertisement won't be used as a weapon to punish media houses performing watchdog functions against the State.

Owalo is a holder of Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Nairobi.

In 2013, he was appointed the head of Raila Odinga's campaign secretariat.

He'd later, in August 2019, ditch ODM for Amani National Congress (ANC), accusing ODM of denying him the party's ticket to run for Kibra parliamentary election following the death of Ken Okoth.

Owalo later joined forces with President William Ruto, who was on the campaign trail at the time.