Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino has now appeared to soften his stance following a public rant by Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, where he accused him of conniving with his opponents to wreak havoc.

Speaking on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Babu made it clear that he is not interested in engaging with President Museveni in a way that could sabotage Raila Odinga’s candidature for African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.

While sidestepping his beef, the vocal lawmaker expressed his deep respect for Museveni, whom he claimed was fit to be his grandfather.

“The current President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, came yesterday, and I don’t want him to lose his vote for Baba. I respect him as my grandfather.

“The number of years he has served in power is more than my years, and therefore there is a time and a season for everything,” Babu stated.

Nonetheless, in an indirect onslaught against Museveni, Babu named former African heads of state like Mobutu Seseko (Zaire) and Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) as some of the leaders who came in as revolutionaries but ended on the wrong foot.

“I respect him and I recognise him as a revolutionary, and there are those revolutionaries who ended up very badly,” Babu Owino added.

Museveni’s rant

During the launch of the Raila AUC bid, Museveni openly reprimanded Babu Owino for supporting his opponents in Uganda. In front of other Heads of State who attended the launch, Museveni described Babu Owino as among a crop of leaders in Raila’s circle who do not know what they are doing.

“There are some individuals in Raila’s group who think I don’t know what they are doing. I am a consumer of intelligence services. I always see intelligence service reports. There’s a character called Babu. I always see Babu dealing with anti-NRM groups in Uganda,” the Ugandan president stated on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) is Uganda’s ruling party, led by Museveni.

Museveni criticised

However, Museveni has been critised by several local lawmakers for castigating the Kenyan MP. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna opined that Museveni could have used the diplomatic channel to address his issue with the Embakasi East MP.

“Whatever beef Museveni has with Babu Owino, I strongly object to the manner of his attack on a young Kenyan leader on our own soil,” Sifuna wrote on his X account.

Whatever beef Museveni has with Babu Owino, I strongly object to the manner of his attack on a young Kenyan leader on our own soil. Kenya is a country ruled by law and if there is any objectionable conduct on the part of Babu, there are diplomatic channels to convey that to…

— Edwin Sifuna (@edwinsifuna) August 27, 2024