By Reporter
President William Ruto, through the appointment of former police spokesperson Charles Owino Wahongo as the government spokesman, could be a tip of the iceberg of his 2027 presidential campaign team.
Owino, a former gubernatorial aspirant for Siaya County in the 2022 general elections, is respected for his exemplary performance during his tenure as police spokesperson.
Owino’s appointment adds value to President Ruto’s communication team, and his networks will be invaluable to the President’s re-election plan.
Owino was one of the first few members of the Luo community to support Ruto and became the coordinator of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in Siaya County.
Owino was appointed the new Government Spokesperson as part of the presidential nominations and redeployments within the Executive.
In a statement announced by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on Tuesday, Owino was redeployed from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, where he had been serving as Acting Head of Government Communications.
Former Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura was reassigned to head the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Disability Rights in the Executive Office of the President.
Reaction
Owino said he was honoured by the appointment to serve in the important docket.
“I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency Dr. President of the Republic of Kenya William Ruto for my appointment as Spokesperson of the Government of Kenya. I am deeply honoured by the confidence the Government of His Excellency President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, CGH, have placed in me to serve our nation in this important capacity,” he said.
Owino reaffirmed his commitment to the President and readiness to discharge his duties.
“I am committed to discharging my duties with diligence, integrity, and professionalism, and to contributing meaningfully towards the realisation of Kenya’s communication goals. Thank you once again for this opportunity to serve. I look forward to supporting and discharging my duties diligently,” he said.
What does the appointment mean?
With the elections just 12 months away, President Ruto needed a more eloquent and experienced hand to lead the crucial docket.
The immediate former spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura, failed to inspire and effectively articulate government positions on various agendas.
Similarly, with the emerging political dynamics and possible realignment ahead of the 2027 general election and the changing political alliances, a new face was required to run the docket.
The Ol Kalou by-election, in which UDA lost by 86 percent, was a wake-up call to the President that the Mt Kenya vote block could have shifted to the opposition.
In Owino, President Ruto was introducing the face of the 2022 political alliance between UDA and ODM.
Similarly, the President could be wittingly addressing those opposed to the ODM-UDA alliance led by Siaya Governor James Orengo, and Owino would come in handy in responding to the Governor.
ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga has declared that the party would support President Ruto’s re-election and that they were working on a pre-election coalition arrangement.
