President William Ruto has named Eliud Owalo as the country’s new Cabinet Secretary for ICT pending parliament’s approval.

Owalo is a new entrant in the ICT space and has a legal and economic consultancy background.

He is tasked with enforcing the new administration’s ICT agenda, which includes expanding the digital economy and reducing the cost of ICT broadband.

Eliud Owalo.

The government wants to extend broadband through the national fibre optic connectivity network by increasing it to 100,000 km in the next five years. It also wants to establish Kenya as an Africa Regional Hub and promote the development of software for export.

Ruto’s administration is also looking to establish a Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology Policy which, according to official sources, “will ensure a whole of government approach to technological development and use and build necessary capacities across government.”

Information published by Owalo’s consultancy company, Eliud & Associates (E&A) Management Consultants, describes Onwalo as an economist and strategy consultant. 

He holds a BA Degree in Economics and Business Studies from Kenyatta University and an MBA Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Nairobi.

Owalo takes over from Joe Mucheru who has been at the helm for ten years after leaving Google Kenya.

Owalo has accepted his nomination to the Ministry and has promised to issue a more comprehensive statement in the weeks to come.