The sad death of Ken Arek has opened up a painful truth about Eliud Owalo, the former ICT Cabinet Secretary and now Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of performance and delivery management. Ken, a long-time associate and personal blogger for Owalo, died broke, depressed, and abandoned. His tragic end was revealed in a viral post by popular social media figure Jim Bonnie, who laid bare the painful journey Ken endured after years of loyalty.
This story has exposed the cold indifference of a man who built his image on the backs of people he would later ignore. When Owalo landed a Cabinet position, Ken and others close to him were asked to submit their CVs. It sounded like a promise that their loyalty would finally be rewarded.
But nothing ever came of it. Each time they asked about opportunities, they were told to wait or to “send your CV again.” Over time, it became clear that these were just empty words. Meanwhile, Ken remained dedicated, blogging every day to promote Owalo’s work, hoping that his consistency would earn him a place in government.
Despite being a trained procurement expert, Ken found himself jobless and struggling. His rent piled up, and eventually, his landlord kicked him and his family his wife and toddler out of their home. With nowhere to turn, he reached out to Owalo for help, only to be blocked from reaching him. Access to the man he helped promote was denied completely.
Ken relocated to his rural home where he continued to face hardship. His mother was suffering from a terminal illness, and he had no income to care for her. Again, he reached out to Owalo when she was admitted to hospital in Kisumu. His calls and messages went unanswered.
Days later, Owalo made a flashy donation of one million shillings to Gor Mahia and even sent Ken the photos to post online. Ken did so, still clinging to hope. But no help followed. The day before he was found dead, he had requested a car from a friend to help his mother leave the hospital.
He never made it back to collect it. After his death, people aligned with Owalo tried to spread a photoshopped bank message to suggest Ken was being paid. But they have failed to prove where he was employed, what role he had, or why he lived in such despair if he was truly on a payroll.
The lies are cheap and insulting. They are an attempt to escape blame and shift attention from the heartless betrayal at the center of Ken’s suffering.
The viral photo of Ken at State House also carries a bitter story. On the day it was taken, he and his colleagues were asked to attend a function. After it ended, Owalo drove off, leaving them behind. They had to walk to town because they didn’t even have fare for a matatu. That photo is now being used by the same man to paint a picture of closeness and respect a shameless attempt to rewrite history.
Ken’s death should be a wake-up call. He gave his all to someone who only took. He believed in promises that were never kept. His story is not just about poverty or depression.
It is about betrayal. It is about a leader who used people when he needed them and abandoned them when they needed him. And no amount of PR spin can change that truth.
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