A coalition of students drawn from several Nairobi-based universities has endorsed the presidential bid of Eliud Owalo, a former Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy.
The group, operating under the banner of the Nairobi Universities Comrades Chapter, announced its support during a press conference held at Hazina Trade Centre in Nairobi on Friday.
Student representatives Maureen Nyambura, Emmanuel Nyota, Sheila Cheboron and Derrick Jones said the coalition would mobilize youth support in the capital in favour of Mr Owalo’s candidacy. They outlined a series of commitments, including spearheading voter registration drives targeting Nairobi’s youth and residents, recruiting members to Mr Owalo’s political party, and serving as volunteer advocates for his policy platform.
The students also pledged to consolidate youth backing in Nairobi and support what they described as Mr Owalo’s “zero tolerance” stance on corruption.
Central to their endorsement was support for what they termed a “third liberation agenda,” framed around economic empowerment and inclusive growth. The representatives cited Mr Owalo’s tenure at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation as evidence of his administrative experience and policy focus, particularly in the digital economy.
They also expressed support for his pledge to provide free primary and secondary education if elected, alongside proposed reforms to the higher education sector. These include changes to bursary allocation mechanisms and reforms to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), an institution that has faced recurring scrutiny over loan disbursement and recovery practices.
The endorsement signals growing youth engagement in Kenya’s political landscape, with university students positioning themselves as active participants in shaping debate around education financing, economic opportunity and governance standards. While student endorsements do not necessarily translate into broad electoral influence, they often serve as indicators of emerging political alignments among urban youth voters.
Mr Owalo has not yet publicly responded to the endorsement.