‘No doubt he is good’: Senator Ojienda weighs in on Babu Owino’s kingpin potential
By Martin Oduor, April 30, 2026In a surprising moment of cross-factional praise, Kisumu Senator Prof. Tom Ojienda has acknowledged the rising political star of Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, describing him as a “good” leader with undeniable talent.
Speaking during a TV interview on Wednesday night, April 29, 2026, Ojienda – a staunch member of the pro-government ‘Linda Ground’ faction of the ODM party – briefly set aside his political differences to credit Babu’s recent performance at a ‘Linda Mwananchi’ rally in his former childhood neighbourhood of Nyalenda.
“He is good. There is no doubt, you can’t take it away from him,” Ojienda said.
“He is a Kisumu-born and bred in Kisumu but of course now in Nairobi. He was born in Nyalenda, Babu is a homeboy; he is my constituent,” he added.
The comments follow a massive turnout in Kisumu that saw Babu Owino commanding a lot of supporters in his former childhood home, leading to the interview host to observe that the MP “appeared to be like a kingpin” on that stage.
Ojienda, who represents the very constituency where Babu Owino was raised, did not contest the MP’s charisma.
However, he offered a sobering perspective on the future of Luo leadership as the region contemplates a future beyond its long-standing patriarch.
When pressed on whether Babu Owino is the heir apparent to the title of Luo Kingpin, Ojienda – himself a key figure in the ODM Linda Ground faction and a staunch supporter of President William Ruto – suggested that the days of a single, all-encompassing leader for Nyanza might be numbered.
He noted that it’s currently hard for a single Luo leader to unite the whole region under their influence like the late Luo kingpin Raila Odinga did for decades.
“We have many kingpins in Nyanza. It is difficult to have a universal kingpin after Raila’s death,” Ojienda explained.
The Senator predicted a fragmentation of power, suggesting that the leadership vacuum would likely be filled by several influential figures commanding different territories.
“I think we will have small kingpins in regions. So he [Babu Owino] could pick one of the regions—most likely a kingpin in Nairobi,” he added.
The analysis points to a significant shift in the Nyanza political landscape.
For decades, the region has moved in lockstep behind a single figurehead – Raila.
Ojienda’s theory suggests that the next generation of leaders, including Babu Owino, may have to settle for regional dominance rather than the total “universal” influence enjoyed by the late ODM party leader.
While Babu Owino has established a formidable power base in Nairobi, his recent “homecoming” to the Nyalenda slums has reignited conversations about his ability to claim his “birthright” in the Lake Region.
For now, the “homeboy” has earned the respect of his Senator, but the battle for the crown of Nyanza remains a complex, regional jigsaw puzzle with no single winner in sight.