NAIROBI, Kenya- Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has publicly revealed The Mwananchi Party as his political vehicle ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying he secured the outfit after deciding that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) would not give him an opportunity to pursue the Nairobi gubernatorial seat.
Babu made the disclosure while addressing mourners in Nyakach on Tuesday, September 18, 2026, during a the burial of Jeremiah Kisero, a teacher.
He proposed a coalition bringing together The Mwananchi Party and Ukombozi People’s Party under the Linda Mwananchi umbrella.
“Sifuna ni ndugu yangu; sitamuacha nyuma; nitakuwa na yeye in solidarity. Tutasukuma Sifuna kama Presidential candidate; we form a coalition. Sifuna as Ukombozi Party Leader and Babu as The Mwananchi Party Leader,” he said.
The proposal would allow both parties to retain their individual identities while cooperating under a wider political arrangement.
He argued that the two leaders could pursue separate political ambitions while working together under a broader coalition.
Babu has also continued to position himself as a Nairobi gubernatorial contender for 2027.
During his September 15 address, he said he would scale down his participation in some Linda Mwananchi rallies so he could concentrate on building his campaign across Nairobi’s 85 wards.
He argued that his immediate political focus was the city and that he needed to spend more time engaging Nairobi voters.
“I will attend some and may not attend some because of the programmes I will be having in Nairobi. I’m the one who is going to deliver it to Nairobians because they also know the work I have done in Embakasi East constituency,” he said.
The announcement comes as leaders within the Linda Mwananchi movement continue to debate the political vehicle they will use in the 2027 elections.
Babu said his decision to secure his own party dates back to February 10, 2025, when ODM leaders gathered at the Bomas of Kenya.
According to the MP, he attended the meeting expecting discussions around former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship but instead witnessed leaders endorse Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for a second term.
He said the development changed his approach to politics.
“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 subsequently made three unsuccessful attempts to register a political party before acquiring one early in 2026.
“At the fourth attempt, I managed to get a party, early this year. That is long before Linda Mwananchi came into being,” he said.
The lawmaker maintained that his political party existed before Linda Mwananchi became a major opposition platform.
He explained that when the movement later began looking for a political vehicle ahead of the 2027 elections, its leaders considered several options.
Babu said the principals formed a four-member committee to examine possible parties that could carry the movement into the elections.
He added that some of the parties under consideration were not fully registered.
The situation changed further after Saboti MP Caleb Amisi left the movement, leaving Babu’s party as one of the available registered political vehicles.
However, disagreements emerged after another principal introduced the Ukombozi People’s Party, which is associated with Sifuna.
Babu said the disagreement over the parties should not be interpreted as a personal fight between him and Sifuna.
He insisted that their political ambitions do not conflict because they are pursuing different elective positions.
“There are no internal wrangles between Sifuna and me. We are pursuing different seats; Sifuna is seeking the presidency, while I am pursuing the gubernatorial seat,” Babu said.
He also reaffirmed his support for Sifuna’s presidential ambitions.
“I want to tell you Kenyans that, as Babu Owino, I’m supporting Sifuna for President 100%,” he said.
Babu said he had accompanied Sifuna to political activities in several parts of the country despite his own focus on Nairobi.
“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,” he said.
The MP has previously said his new party would target areas where ODM has traditionally enjoyed strong support, particularly in Nyanza.
Earlier in September, Babu said the party would conduct competitive nominations rather than issue direct tickets.
“We’re coming with a new party. This party will be democratic, and nominations will be free and fair,” he said during a burial ceremony in Nyalenda, Kisumu County.
He also criticised what he described as a departure from the democratic ideals associated with ODM under Raila Odinga.
“The ‘D’ in ODM stands for democracy. Where is that democracy now?” he posed.
Babu’s position is that the existence of separate parties does not have to fracture the movement.
Instead, he has pushed for a coalition that brings together different political interests while allowing individual leaders to retain their respective parties.
