Owalo Demands Faster Progress on Stalled Multi-Billion Projects in Nyanza Tour

By Kepher Otieno - Reporter

Kenya, 10 December 2025 - Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency, Eliud Owalo, on Wednesday entered the third day of his Nyanza development tour where he insisted that government projects must move from blueprints to visible impact.

His inspection of major national government investments in Kisumu County was framed not merely as a routine tour, but as a political signal that the administration intends to tighten delivery standards and confront delays head-on.

Owalo began the day with a strategic courtesy call on Regional Commissioner Flora Mworoa, accompanied by County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo and a high-powered delegation of county executives, state agency heads and technical officers.

The composition of the entourage—drawing from KeNHA, NWHSA, the State Departments of Blue Economy, Fisheries, Housing and the Government Delivery Unit—reflected the coordinated governance model the administration is increasingly leaning on.

“We cannot afford a silo mentality,” Owalo said during the briefing. “Delivery requires everyone pulling in the same direction—national agencies, county governments and the communities we serve.”

The first project to come under scrutiny was the KES 19.9 billion Koru–Soin Dam, a multipurpose water and climate-resilience investment currently stuck at 7% progress.

Owalo did not mince his words regarding the project’s slow pace.

“This dam is too important for the region to be allowed to stall,” he remarked, noting its significance in controlling perennial flooding in the Nyando basin, generating hydropower and expanding irrigation.

His message was both administrative and political: the government cannot promise transformation without ensuring that the cornerstone projects underpinning that vision are adequately funded and actively supervised.

His remarks suggested a looming push within government to elevate the dam to high-priority status.

From Koru–Soin, the team proceeded to the Mamboleo–Miwani–Chemelil–Muhoroni–Kipsitet Road, a 44.5 km stretch valued at KES 5.7 billion and sitting at 12 percent progress.

The road is vital to the revival of the sugar belt, and Owalo made clear that delays here amount to delays in economic revitalisation. “When roads stall, the economy stalls,” he said, addressing officials and local leaders.

“Farmers cannot access markets, factories operate below capacity and the entire value chain suffers. We must unlock whatever administrative or financial bottlenecks exist.”

His emphasis on efficiency reflected the administration’s broader political commitment to delivering economic infrastructure in rural production zones, where frustrations over past neglect remain high.

At the Kabonyo Fisheries Aquaculture Service and Training Centre, Owalo confronted another mid-stage project showing promise but facing technical setbacks.

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The KSh 1.3 billion blue-economy investment stands at roughly 30% completion. Payment delays and road-access challenges were cited as the main obstacles.

Owalo framed the centre as a flagship investment that must not be allowed to drift. “Kabonyo is the future of aquaculture in this region,” he said.

“It will create jobs, train our youth, increase fish production and drive value addition. We have no choice but to expedite the remaining works.”

His remarks underscored the political value the administration places on the blue economy as a frontier sector for job creation and regional economic diversification.

The final stop—the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN) project in Kisumu East—offered a contrast to the earlier cases of stagnation. At 87% completion, the KSh 1.4 billion investment is nearing the finish line.

Owalo praised the progress while pushing for an efficient wrap-up.

“This is what delivery should look like,” he noted.

“But we cannot relax until Kisumu residents are turning on their taps and accessing clean, reliable water and sanitation services.”

His tone conveyed both commendation and urgency, signalling that even successful projects must maintain momentum until benefits reach citizens.

Owalo had framed the tour as part of a larger political and administrative narrative: an assertive, hands-on approach to ensuring that government promises translate into measurable improvements in people’s lives.

“Our commitment is unwavering,” he said as he wrapped up the day’s inspections.

“We are delivering the plan—not in speeches, but in projects that touch the ground and transform communities.”

Owalo’s Day Three tour therefore served not just as an audit of infrastructure progress, but as a broader political message that "development delivery remains a central pillar of the administration’s legitimacy, and delays will increasingly be met with direct intervention, accountability and a demand for results".