Babu Owino reaffirms support for Sifuna's presidential bid, reveals he has own political party

• Babu said his relationship with Sifuna dates back to a difficult period within ODM, when Sifuna was facing possible disciplinary action over his activities in the party.
• He said Sifuna contacted him seeking advice on whether he should travel to Mombasa for an ODM NEC meeting, at a time when tensions within the party were escalating.

Linda Mwananchi leaders Babu Owino and Edwin Sifuna during a rally in Narok on March 22, 2026. PHOTO | COURTESY

Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has dismissed reports of a fallout with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, insisting that he fully supports Linda Mwananchi movement stalwart’s 2027 presidential ambitions and detailing how they became close.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Babu said his relationship with Sifuna dates back to a difficult period within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), when Sifuna – then the party’s Secretary General - was facing possible disciplinary action over his activities in the party.

Babu said Sifuna contacted him seeking advice on whether he should travel to Mombasa for an ODM National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, at a time when tensions within the party were escalating.

“Sifuna called me when he was almost being suspended from ODM (as Secretary General), and I was there for my brother because I know what was happening in ODM; I was the first casualty, and therefore I knew that he was experiencing a very tough moment in the party,” Babu said.

He said he advised Sifuna against attending the Mombasa meeting and continued supporting him after his eventual suspension from the party.

According to Babu, Sifuna had initially planned to travel to Narok to meet more than 200 ODM delegates, but he persuaded him to abandon the plan and instead organise a political rally in Kitengela.

Babu said he contacted Bob Njagi and other political allies in Kitengela and Kajiado County before meeting Sifuna at his office, from where they embarked on the journey that would eventually grow into the Linda Mwananchi movement.

“The rally was very successful, and then we decided to organize the subsequent rallies,” he said.

“At some point Sifuna asked me where would this movement lead us and I told him it doesn’t matter, that even if it leads us into a forest, there are wild fruits there and we will still feast.”

The MP said the movement subsequently gained momentum, culminating in Sifuna openly pursuing the presidency ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Babu declared that he was backing Sifuna “100%”, dismissing suggestions that their political ambitions had put them at odds.

“I want to tell you Kenyans that, as Babu Owino, I’m supporting Sifuna for President 100%,” he said.

He pointed to his participation in Sifuna's political activities outside Nairobi as evidence of his support, noting that he accompanied the Senator to Kisumu, Meru, Bungoma, Mombasa and Trans Nzoia despite seeking to become Nairobi Governor in the 2027 polls.

“My voters are not in Meru. My voters are not in Bungoma, Mombasa or Trans Nzoia that we went to. I went because I was being there for my brother,” Babu said.

He rejected claims that he was accompanying Sifuna to gain political mileage outside Nairobi, saying his decision was motivated by personal and political loyalty.

“I wasn’t going there to gain any political traction or mileage; I was going there to stand with my brother,” he said.

Babu also dismissed claims that he was jealous of Sifuna, arguing that their political ambitions do not directly compete because he is seeking the Nairobi governorship while Sifuna is pursuing the presidency.

“Babu Owino is vying for Governor of Nairobi County, Sifuna is vying for President, there is no conflicting interest, why would we fight?” he posed.

The vocal lawmaker also used the press briefing to disclose that he has an already registered political party, which he said predates the formation of Linda Mwananchi.

Babu traced his decision to establish his own political vehicle to February 10, 2025, when ODM leaders gathered at Bomas of Kenya for an event he had initially believed was a prayer meeting for the late then-party leader Raila Odinga's bid for the African Union Commission Chairperson position.

He said he was surprised to find Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja being endorsed for a second term by ODM leaders during the gathering.

“From that day, because I knew that ODM would never give me a chance to contest as Governor of Nairobi, I decided that I would have my own political party,” Babu said.

He said he subsequently made three unsuccessful attempts to register a political party, alleging that the attempts were blocked after the government discovered that he was behind the initiatives.

“At the fourth attempt, I managed to get a party, early this year. That is long before Linda Mwananchi came into being,” he said.

Babu said Linda Mwananchi was formed later and found him already in the process of securing a political vehicle.

As the movement expanded, its leaders realised that they needed a political party through which they could organise and contest elections, he said.

According to Babu, the movement's leaders held a retreat where a four-member committee was established to identify and consolidate political parties that could serve as the movement's vehicle.

He said several of the members had political parties, but some were not fully registered.

Babu said one of the members, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, subsequently left Linda Mwananchi after his party's registration process progressed.

This left Babu's party as the main registered political vehicle available to the movement, he said.

However, he disclosed that another Linda Mwananchi principal later introduced the Ukombozi People's Party as an alternative vehicle.

This prompted Babu to seek clarification from Sifuna, who had reportedly been proposed as leader of the Ukombozi People's Party.

“He was clear with me that there was no problem if we have a coalition as Linda Mwananchi so that he gets the position of the coalition party leadership and Babu Owino is also party leader of his party. He had no problem with that,” Babu said.

Babu therefore sought to draw a distinction between disagreements over the movement's political vehicle and any alleged personal fallout between him and Sifuna.

He maintained that his political journey towards establishing an alternative party began well before Linda Mwananchi emerged and was driven by his belief that he would not receive ODM's backing in his bid to become Nairobi governor.

“I want to tell Kenyans that I was on a journey from before, when Baba was still alive, because I knew what was going to happen,” he said.