Babu Owino dismisses claims of abandoning Nairobi governorship race
By Joel Masibo, January 7, 2026Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has rejected online claims suggesting he has abandoned his bid for the Nairobi governorship in the 2027 general election.
Taking to his social media pages on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the outspoken legislator dismissed rumours suggesting that he had shifted his political ambitions to Kisumu County, terming the reports as deliberate falsehoods by his opponents meant to mislead the public.
Road to City Hall
Owino insisted that his focus remains squarely on Nairobi, accusing political rivals of orchestrating the misinformation to derail his campaign. He made it clear that he has no intention of withdrawing from the race for City Hall.
”Forget about the FAKE Information being peddled by my UNWORTHY Opponents. We are in NAIROBI to STAY,” Owino said.
The youthful MP is expected to face stiff competition from incumbent Governor Johnson Sakaja, who is seeking a second term after winning the seat in the 2022 General Election on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. Sakaja currently enjoys support from the broad-based government, which includes members of Owino’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
However, uncertainty remains within ODM regarding its political direction, and Owino has yet to announce the party under which he will formally contest, after he initially said the Orange party would likely not give him the ticket to vie.
Despite this, he has increasingly positioned himself as part of the new generation poised to influence the party’s future leadership, based on the latest opinion polls. In recent months, Owino has stepped up his grassroots engagements and public appearances across Nairobi, signalling his seriousness about the gubernatorial race.
Addressing these fears in an interview last October, ODM leader Oburu Odinga urged Owino to remain patient and committed to the party. He reassured supporters that the nomination process would be conducted fairly, stressing that the ticket would go to whoever emerges victorious through transparent party primaries.
Sakaja’s survival
Before the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in October 2025, Governor Sakaja had cultivated a close working relationship with the ODM leader and frequently attended key party events. That alliance proved significant in September when Sakaja survived an impeachment attempt after intervention from both President William Ruto and the late Raila Odinga helped defuse the crisis.
Babu Owino and the ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna have been facing harsh criticism from a section of the Oburu Oginga-led party members over their firm stance against the broad-based government formation.