Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is laying the ground to contest for the Nairobi’s governor seat in the 2027 general election.
Your favourite newspaper is privy to discussions that have been going on between Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga and his Wiper counterpart Kalonzo Musyoka to back the vocal youthful legislator for the city top seat in the 2027 polls.
Raila and Kalonzo during the 2017 politial campaigns.
Insiders familiar with the details revealed that Raila is mooting backing Kalonzo for presidency in 2027.
The ODM leader will be paying a debt as the former vice president has backed him thrice for the presidency – 2013, 2017 and 2022.
In the 2013 and 2017 polls, Kalonzo was Raila’s running mate and delivered 95pc of the Kamba votes to the ODM leader.
In the 2022 polls, Kalonzo forfeited the running mate which went to NarcKenya leader Martha Karua.
Martha Karua
He backed Azimio and delivered nearly 70pc of the Kamba votes to Raila.
In the Nairobi plan, Babu will be deputised by either a Somali or Kikuyu while the coalition’s Nairobi senatorial seat ticket will go to a Luhya, current ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna and the woman representative to either a Kikuyu or Kisii.
Raila, sources revealed, is confident Babu will defeat current governor Johnson Sakaja if he is given the ticket by president William Ruto’s party. Being Luo, Babu will carry the day in the community with Kambas backing him on grounds that Raila is for Kalonzo 2027 presidential bid.
Somalis with one of them deputy will throw their weight behind Babu.
For the Luhya community, the schemers want to capitalise on the fact that president Ruto’s failure to name either Musalia Mudavadi or Moses Wetang’ula as running mate 2027.
Musalia Mudavadi
If Ruto picks a Kikuyu as his deputy 2027, the political power deal in Luhyaland in Kenya Kwanza Alliance will be an acid test on grounds that Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have been short-changed.
If Ruto fails to pick a Kikuyu as deputy in favour of a Luhya, the same will happen in Mount Kenya region.
In the 2022 polls, a number of candidates had thrown their hats in the ring to become Nairobi county’s governor before some of them developed cold feet.
Those who declared interest included Sakaja who is the former senator, Jubilee candidate Polycarp Igathe, Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, Kenya Chamber of Commerce president Richard Ngatia, businesswoman Agnes Kagure and Denis Kodhe. Kodhe, a seasoned journalist, was the LDP party flagbearer.
Agnes Kagure
Others who had declared interest included Esther Thairu, Harman Grewal, Kenneth Nyamwamu, Nancy Mwadime and Cleophas Mutua.
Kagure went on to contest as an independent after Jubilee handed the ticket to Igathe, but she performed dismally.
The aspirants are expected to declare interest in the seat in the 2027 polls where they will face Sakaja.
Sakaja
Sources revealed that Babu’s biggest nightmare is Ngatia’s candidature as the latter is likely to walk away with the massive Kikuyu votes, which will give him an edge over other candidates.
As part of the preparations to contest the seat, Babu has been mobilising Azimio supporters in Nairobi to attend rallies called by the ODM leader.
The Embakasi East MP led Nairobi Azimio leaders in mobilising supporters to attend Kamukunji, Jacaranda and Kibera anti-Ruto rallies that were addressed by Raila.
He also mobilised Nairobi residents to attend the prayer session called by Raila at Jevanjee Gardens, Nairobi that was a flop.
The MP has also been calling former president Uhuru Kenyatta to resign as peace envoy in DRC and join Azimio in the anti-Ruto protests.
He has been vocal that Uhuru and Ruto are playing political games and that the recent downscaling of the former president’s security was the latest sign yet.
“The first person to be employed in this country by Ruto was who? Uhuru. Would you employ your enemy as a peacekeeper?” he paused.
The MP has been challenging Uhuru to join them in the protest against Ruto’s administration if he really means business being in Azimio.
“If you want to see the genuineness of all this, Uhuru should resign and come to our demonstrations and say tibim and tialala. Without that we are not kids,” he said.
Uhuru Kenyatta
His remarks came a day before the planned Azimio rallies in Kamukunji, Kibera. Uhuru never bothered.
If Raila backs him for the city top seat, Babu will be assured of the about 400,000 Luo votes. He will also bag the about Kamba votes, giving him a headstart in the race. Babu’s entry will deny Sakaja the Luhya votes, meaning the battle might be between him and Ngatia if the latter decides to vie.y
