Babu Owino says his initial political agreement with Edwin Sifuna later changed.
Babu Owino says an initial agreement gave him party leadership and Sifuna the presidential ticket, but members later pushed for changes.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino says a Babu-Sifuna power-sharing deal changed before the two leaders took separate political paths. He claims their initial agreement assigned him party leadership and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna the presidential ticket.
Speaking in a recorded interview on Friday, November 13, Babu said other members also backed the arrangement. At the time, the group was planning to leave the Orange Democratic Movement and pursue a new political direction.
However, he alleged that some members later pushed for Sifuna to hold both roles. Babu said the change happened without his knowledge after the group left ODM.
Why the Babu-Sifuna power-sharing deal unravelled
Babu said supporters of the revised arrangement argued that a presidential candidate should also lead the party. However, he maintained that their original plan gave both leaders room to advance politically.
The MP linked his decision to pursue a separate path to protecting his political interests. He argued that one leader should not progress at the other’s expense.
He also defended the proposed division of responsibilities as a way to maintain accountability if Sifuna became president. In his view, serving as party leader would have offered him political security without challenging presidential authority.
Babu questioned how much power a party leader could exercise over a commander-in-chief. Even so, he argued that the leadership position would have protected his place within the political organisation.
Separate parties, different electoral ambitions
The remarks follow Babu’s departure from the Linda Mwananchi Movement weeks earlier. He joined Muungano Party, which later adopted the Mwananchi Party name, sparking speculation about a fallout with Sifuna.
Meanwhile, Sifuna joined the Equitable Party after encountering a registration setback at the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. He had sought to register the Linda Mwananchi Movement as a political party.
On Friday, November 13, the Equitable Party officially rebranded as the Linda Mwananchi Movement party. The move gave Sifuna a party through which to pursue his political ambitions.
Despite their split, Babu rejected suggestions that he and Sifuna were competing for the same position. He said Sifuna was targeting the presidency, while he intended to contest the Nairobi governor’s seat.
Babu also maintained that he supports the senator’s presidential ambitions as campaigns for the 2027 General Election gather pace.
