Leadership is about service delivery: Babu Owino speaks after being ranked top-performing MP
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, July 1, 2026Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has said leadership should be measured by service to the people rather than power or position after emerging as Kenya’s top-performing Member of Parliament in the latest Infotrak leadership survey.
Speaking after receiving the recognition as the best-performing MP by an Infotrak survey on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Babu thanked God and the residents of Mbakasi East for entrusting him with leadership, saying the award reflects the confidence his constituents have placed in him.
“I want to thank the Almighty God for giving me this chance to lead the great people of the Embakasi East constituency. To the great people of Embakasi East, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are a family, and I will always work for you,” Babu said.
The legislator emphasised that effective leadership is rooted in service and responsibility rather than authority.
“Leadership is not about position; leadership is not about titles; leadership is not about power. Leadership is about service delivery, leadership is about courage, leadership is about vision, and leadership is about responsibility,” he added.
Babu added that his approach to leadership has always been guided by the desire to improve the lives of those who elected him.
“As a leader, I always ask myself what I can give to the people, not what I can gain. The true measurement of leadership is not the number of people who serve you but the total number of people that you serve and whose lives you change for the better,” he said.
Babu hails lawmakers’ delivery
The lawmaker also expressed gratitude to Nairobians and Kenyans who have supported his leadership journey and congratulated fellow Members of Parliament who performed well in the Infotrak survey.
“As a statistician, I must say the numbers I’ve seen show that Members of Parliament are really working hard. I want to appreciate them,” he said.
According to Babu, the survey demonstrates that many legislators are delivering on their mandate, noting that even MPs ranked outside the top 100 recorded scores above the halfway mark.
“When you look at the numbers beyond the top 100, you still see many scoring above 50 per cent. That means if you work hard as a Member of Parliament, you increase your chances of being re-elected because you are already above average,” he said.
He also commended Infotrak for conducting the performance assessment, saying such surveys encourage accountability and motivate leaders to improve service delivery.
Asked what has enabled him to consistently perform well, Babu credited his success to faith in God, a clear vision and disciplined leadership.
“The first secret is God. You can still deliver, but unless God opens the hearts of the people to appreciate your work, it may never be recognised,” he said.
He said leaders must also remain focused on transforming the lives of their constituents.
“You must ask yourself whether your vision is to destroy lives or to transform them. The secret is proper management, being organised, putting God first and remaining accessible to the people,” he said.
Babu further encouraged legislators who ranked lower in the survey not to be discouraged, noting that some MPs had significantly improved from previous rankings.
“I’ve seen leaders who were ranked around position 216 previously improve to around position 46. There is always room for improvement. These Members of Parliament know why they were elected, and I believe they will continue working harder for the people,” he said.