Former nominated senator Gloria Orwoba has claimed she personally lobbied President William Ruto to appoint Raymond Omollo as Principal Secretary for the Interior Ministry, citing his behind-the-scenes role during the 2022 elections.
Speaking during a recent interview, Orwoba recounted that Omollo played a central role in coordinating UDA’s campaign machinery in Nyanza, including managing logistics and ensuring election result sheets were collected from risky areas.
“The relationship then was, he would call to give me a brief, then I would call the president to brief him about affairs in Nyanza,” Orwoba said, adding that Omollo kept her updated every three days during the campaign period.
Omollo’s Role in the 2022 Campaigns
According to Orwoba, Omollo’s coordination was key to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) gaining ground in a region traditionally dominated by Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
She further revealed that after the election results were contested in court, Omollo was still relatively unknown in Ruto’s inner circle. At one point, she claimed, he was even denied access to Ruto’s Karen residence until she intervened.
“He reached the gates of Karen when all of us were inside and he was not allowed to enter. I had to go and talk to the watchmen at the gate to allow Raymond to enter,” she recounted.
Orwoba said that Ruto regularly sought her opinion about Omollo’s competence and that she consistently vouched for him.
Behind the Appointment
When the list of Principal Secretaries was being finalized, Orwoba says Omollo reached out to her, worried he might be overlooked.
“He called me, and we had dinner with him at Lavington. He was convincing me to talk to the president because things sounded like he could be forgotten. I drafted a nice message reminding the president not to forget him. And I showed him the message,” she said.
Eventually, Omollo was appointed Interior PS, a role that put him at the heart of security operations in the country.
Sour Turn in Relations
However, Orwoba claimed that her relationship with Omollo deteriorated soon after he assumed office.
“The next time I went to his office, he stood with a lot of bravado. Raymond now doesn’t pick my calls and treats me badly,” she alleged.
She further claimed that Omollo faced resistance from fellow Principal Secretaries, who accused him of boasting and positioning himself too closely to the President.
Despite the fallout, Orwoba defended Omollo as a professional, saying she pushed for him to be given the opportunity despite political resistance.
“I said he is a nice guy and very professional. I fought for him to get the opportunity,” she added.
