Eliud Owalo, the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President in charge of Performance and Delivery Management, has once again landed in hot soup following the sudden death of Ken Arek.
According to blogger Jim Bonnie on Facebook, the painful story of Ken’s final days is one that will forever haunt Owalo’s legacy.
Ken was not a stranger to Owalo. He was part of the loyal group that worked behind the scenes to support him long before he got into government. When Owalo was appointed to office, he asked Ken and others to submit their CVs.
They did so with hope. They believed this was finally their moment. But that moment never came.
Whenever they followed up, they were either ignored or told to be patient. Each time they were asked to resend their documents. Nothing ever changed.
Despite the growing silence and frustration, Ken stayed loyal. He managed Owalo’s online presence. He pushed content. He defended him in public spaces.
All of this was unpaid. He did it believing one day he would get something meaningful in return. Instead, life got harder. He was evicted after failing to pay rent.
His home was locked with all his belongings inside. He was left on the streets with his wife and baby. Still, he tried to reach Owalo. He was blocked from seeing him.
Eventually, Ken gave up on Nairobi and returned to his rural home in Kisumu.
His mother was unwell and things only got worse. When she was admitted at JOOTRH, Ken again tried to reach Owalo for help with the hospital bill. He got no response.
Just a few days later, Owalo sent him photos of a one million shilling donation to Gor Mahia. He asked Ken to circulate them. Ken did, still holding onto hope.
The day before he died, Ken asked a friend to lend him a car to take his mother home from the hospital. The car was ready. Ken never showed up. The next morning, he was gone.
Now, false messages are being circulated to make it seem like Ken had a job. But those who knew him know the truth. Ken had nothing. What he had was faith in a man who let him down.