Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is facing an increasingly difficult path to Nairobi City Hall after three opposition formations he had counted on for his 2027 gubernatorial ambitions appear to have settled on political calculations that leave him out.
From Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement to Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP and Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party, the emerging alliances are closing ranks around other interests, leaving the Mwananchi Party leader with an increasingly isolated political bid.
The latest setback is DCP’s decision to settle on former Dagoretti North MP Dennis Waweru as its preferred Nairobi gubernatorial candidate, threatening Babu’s strategy of consolidating Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya and Kamba votes alongside the city’s youthful electorate.
The Waweru candidature could complicate Babu’s pursuit of Kikuyu votes, while a reported Nairobi understanding between DCP and Kalonzo’s Wiper Party could further weaken his numbers.
Under the arrangement, Wiper would back DCP’s Nairobi governor candidate in exchange for Gachagua supporting Kalonzo’s 2027 presidential bid, potentially drawing Kamba voters behind Waweru.
Babu’s troubles extend to Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi movement, where his relationship with the Nairobi Senator has deteriorated.
In an interview with K24 on Friday, November 13, Babu revealed that he and Sifuna had initially agreed that Sifuna would be the presidential candidate while he would take the party leadership position after leaving ODM.
He claimed the arrangement changed after their departure from ODM, with some members pushing for Sifuna to become party leader instead, triggering their fallout.
With Sifuna’s camp, Gachagua’s DCP and Kalonzo’s Wiper pursuing separate political interests, Babu faces the prospect of going into the Nairobi gubernatorial race without the backing of the very opposition formations he had hoped would anchor his bid.
