Babu Owino Reveals Lesson Opposition Must Learn From Raila’s 2022 Loss

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has warned the United Opposition against over-relying on mass political campaigns, pointing to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s 2022 presidential race as a cautionary lesson on the necessity of strategy.

Speaking to the media at his office on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the lawmaker urged opposition leaders to balance public rallies with rigorous tactical planning ahead of the 2027 General Election. He recalled traveling extensively across the country during the 2022 campaigns, noting that massive rally turnouts did not guarantee an election victory without deep underlying strategy.

*“I want to advise those who are in the Opposition. We need to spend more time strategizing and getting tact, not only campaigning. Baba did all these rallies. We saw very huge rallies when he was campaigning, and I went with him to 280 constituencies, which is 95 percent of the whole country, but Baba was not sworn in as the president despite being loved *so much. Why? Probably because we did not spend much time planning and strategizing,” the MP said.

Addressing the political trajectory of the Linda Mwananchi movement, Owino advised Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the team to actively build a broad coalition rather than running as a single entity. He emphasized that no political party has won Kenya’s presidency independently under the 2010 Constitution.

“We cannot win the 2027 elections if we are not united. As Linda Mwananchi, we are supporting Edwin Sifuna, but we need to bring other stakeholders on board so that we are united,” he stated.

Babu Owino Shuts Down Sifuna Rift Rumors

Owino also confirmed that he has his own political party, which he intends to lead and use as his vehicle to contest the Nairobi gubernatorial seat. He explained that his party would enter into a formal coalition with Sifuna under the Linda Mwananchi umbrella.

He stressed that their political ambitions do not conflict since Sifuna is eyeing the presidency while he is running for Nairobi Governor.

“Those who are in doubt of the relationship that I have with my brother Sifuna, you have to know that I have no particular challenge or problem with him,” Owino said.

“Some are even going as far as saying that Babu is jealous of Sifuna. Babu Owino is vying for Nairobi Governor, and Sifuna is vying for president. There is no conflicting interest. There is no way Babu will fight Sifuna, so do not bring tension where there is none.”

Dismissing rumors of a rift between himself and the Nairobi Senator, the MP attributed reports of disunity to state-sponsored propaganda aimed at dividing a growing opposition.

“When I look at the fights from certain quarters, which of course are also being engineered by the government, we need to be united, and if not, we will be roasted individually,” he added.

The post Babu Owino Reveals Lesson Opposition Must Learn From Raila’s 2022 Loss appeared first on Nairobi Wire.