Speaking during a television interview on Wednesday night, August 19, 2026, Owalo said Nyanza residents should have a wider range of candidates and political parties to choose from based on their records, policies and development plans.
Owalo acknowledged the political influence of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying his absence had created an opportunity for new leadership to emerge in the region.
“You can’t negate the stature and political prowess of Raila Odinga. But in instances like this, a new leadership will always emerge,” Owalo said.
He, however, argued that any political transition in Nyanza should be driven by open competition rather than predetermined political loyalties.
“The best way to deal with this is to allow a level playing ground,” he said, adding that residents should have “a variety of choices” when electing their leaders.
Owalo rejects political zoning in Nyanza
Owalo also criticised the idea of reserving Nyanza for a particular political party, saying such arrangements undermine the principles of multiparty democracy.
“We cannot in this day and age be talking about political enclaves in certain regions, that a certain region is reserved for a given political party,” he said.
He called for political parties to compete across Nyanza at every level, from Members of County Assembly to parliamentary seats and the presidency.
Owalo, who was previously associated with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), claimed that some leaders currently holding influential positions in the region had risen through political appointments rather than competitive elections.
“One of the biggest challenges we are facing today is that most of the leaders in Nyanza today have never been elected. They were always handpicked,” he said.
According to Owalo, a competitive political environment would give voters an opportunity to scrutinise candidates based on their individual records, ideas and development agendas rather than relying on traditional party loyalties.
His remarks come as political parties and emerging movements intensify their grassroots mobilisation in Nyanza and other regions ahead of the 2027 elections.
