Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has vowed to stand for the Nairobi governorship, whether or not he has the endorsement of his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Owino, who is one of the leading candidates challenging the re-election of the current Governor, Johnson Sakaja, in 2027, acknowledged that the orange party may not endorse him due to his anti-broad-based government stance.

The vocal MP, who has ramped up his criticism of Sakaja in recent weeks, expressed his confidence in clinching the seat, adding that he was “overqualified for the role.”

Owino maintained that he would contest for the seat as an independent candidate if necessary, noting that the capital city needed a change in leadership and governance.

“I know ODM may not give me the ticket because Johnson Sakaja was endorsed in the Bomas of Kenya,” Owino noted in a past interview.

“I am criticising the broad-based government because it is the right thing to do. As a leader, I can not see wrong and support it in a public forum, not even in private,” he added.

He linked his candidature to his merit, which he noted dated back to his university days as a student leader at the Student Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU). 

He was first elected to Parliament in 2017 on an ODM ticket, and is currently serving his second term as the Embakasi East MP.

Owino criticised Sakaja for the issues such as poor drainage, financial mismanagement, adding that the Governor had demonstrated poor leadership. He also cited the previous cases of chaos and anarchy in the capital during protests, accusing Sakaja of running a county that is ‘governed in disregard of the rule of law.’ 

He accused the governor of failing to implement key oversight recommendations, such as the delayed publication of an ad hoc committee report on the revenue system, and of failing to address declining revenue collections for over a year.

Even so, Owino reiterated his support and loyalty to ODM party leader Raila Odinga, noting that his respect for the former Prime Minister remained unwavering.

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“In a family set-up, a father can love one child more than another, but that can not make me bitter with my father or hate him. He is Baba. He is someone I have always believed in,” he said in the interview.

Despite the strong likelihood that Owino will run for Nairobi Governor in the upcoming 2027 General Election, a section of Kenyans have challenged him to run for the Presidency. While acknowledging the challenge, Owino is yet to explicitly say whether or not he shall heed to the people’s demands.