Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino during the Linda Mwananchi political rally in Mutituni shopping centre in Machakos County on May 31, 2026/FILE
A section of leaders has dashed to salvage Linda Mwananchi from disintegration, amid warnings that the simmering differences between Babu Owino and Edwin Sifuna could sink the ambitions of both leaders.
On Wednesday, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi held a marathon meeting with Babu as they sought to find common ground on emerging contentious issues.
At the centre of the looming fallout is the question of which political party Sifuna should use to contest the presidency, with Babu having registered his own outfit months before Linda Mwananchi was birthed.
Osotsi sought to ease concerns over a possible split, declaring that the two leaders need each other and will remain together.
“Unity of purpose is important and Hon. Babu is an important factor in Senator Edwin Sifuna’s 2027 presidential journey. Let us maintain our focus, determination and resilience in advancing the interests of our people,” Osotsi said.
“Our detractors will not succeed. We remain united and committed to the cause.”
Despite the assurance, the political supporters of both leaders have continued to tear at each other online, adding to the friction.
On Tuesday, Babu said Sifuna had initially agreed that the movement’s leaders would contest on his rebranded Mwananchi Party, but later changed his mind after another political leader introduced the Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP).
UPP was initially called the United Democratic Party and was led by the late Cyrus Jirongo.
Some Western leaders insist Sifuna cannot contest the presidency on a political party that he does not control.
Babu has also insisted that he cannot go to City Hall without his own MCAs and a political machine he controls, with the two opposing positions straining relations within the movement.
“Rigathi was impeached just because he didn’t have a party and didn’t have MPs, Kawira Mwangaza was impeached just because she didn’t have a party, and she later told me never compromise on having your own MCAs,” Babu said on Tuesday.
“You know how complex Nairobi is. When I am elected, I want to play less politics and therefore the best way to deliver is when you are in control of your MCAs.”
Babu has suggested that they can turn Linda Mwananchi into a coalition political party.
However, this is also likely to complicate negotiations with the united opposition.
It was expected that Linda Mwananchi, as one political party, would cobble together a coalition with the united opposition, bringing on board Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DCP’s Rigathi Gachagua and other political bigwigs.
Analysts warn the wrangles could whittle down Sifuna’s negotiations for the presidency with the Kalonzo and Gachagua teams.
But Sifuna would not be the only casualty.
“Babu can only win Nairobi if he is a member of Linda Mwananchi. But if he attempts an experiment outside Linda Mwananchi, his campaign becomes harder and the possibility of a loss becomes more probable,” Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale told the Star.
“So my advice to him is that you don’t always have to agree with everybody and everything. In politics, there is nothing like the right opinion.”
Rights activist Cyprian Nyamwamu says Babu is driven by his 2032 presidential bid.
“At the Sunday 13th Nairobi Linda Mwananchi rally, he showed that his plans for running for president in 2032 are his driving force. That is why he wants Sifuna to choose between his support or Natembeya’s guardianship role,” Nyamwamu said.
“Natembeya has decided to stop Babu in his tracks for Kenya’s sake. And many do not know what the real issue is. Every president has had his guardians. Sifuna is not expected to have a Luhya guardian? Very interesting.”
But Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has accused Natembeya of fuelling divisions within Linda Mwananchi.
“He (Natembeya) joined Linda Mwananchi and started pushing out people like Babu Owino. You want Sifuna to be the president and you are busy fighting the very people who want to make him president,” Amisi said during an interview on Radio Citizen on Wednesday.
“Natembeya is actually the downfall of Sifuna.”
Analysts have said the two youthful leaders need each other.
Sifuna requires Babu’s mobilisation networks and strong appeal among young voters as he builds his national presidential campaign.
Babu, on the other hand, needs the broader Linda Mwananchi platform to consolidate his support base in Nairobi, especially with the support of the Lyhya community in Nairobi
The latest sign of strain emerged on Tuesday when Babu announced that he would no longer participate in all Linda Mwananchi rallies as he shifts his attention to his Nairobi gubernatorial campaign.
“I want to shift my focus to Nairobi. I will still attend Linda Mwananchi rallies, but I will not attend all the rallies depending on the programme I will have in Nairobi,” Babu said on Tuesday.
The decision could have a direct impact on the duo’s ambitions at a time when both are seeking to build their bases ahead of the 2027 elections.
Some analysts have, however, warned that the two should not mistake public trust for individual glory.
“Movements do not die at the hands of their enemies. They die when the custodians mistake the crowd’s chants for their own name,” warned Arnold Maliba.
Babu is regarded as one of Linda Mwananchi’s most effective grassroots mobilisers, with a particularly strong appeal among young voters.
His presence has often helped inject energy into the movement’s rallies and draw youthful crowds.
His reduced participation could be significant for Linda Mwananchi’s mobilisation machinery.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has gone further, predicting that Babu’s exit would spell the end of Linda Mwananchi.
“If Babu Owino leaves Linda Mwananchi movement, which he is leaving soon, the movement will collapse; that is why I said that Sifuna will not be on the ballot because he is partyless… he will defect to the Luhya Party led by Natembeya called Ukombozi Party of Kenya,” Cherargei argues.
But the political equation is equally complicated for Babu should the two part ways.
Nairobi’s voting patterns have historically been influenced by ethnic and community-based political alliances.
This means Babu will need to assemble a broad coalition if he is to mount a serious gubernatorial campaign in the city.
Political observers say any perception that Babu is working against Sifuna’s presidential ambitions could also complicate his attempts to win support from communities whose leaders are backing the senator.
Political commentator Samuel Owida told the Star that any indication that Babu is sabotaging Sifuna in his presidential run could trigger resistance from other communities against his gubernatorial candidature.
“Supporters may tolerate ideological debate, but they rarely remain loyal to a project that appears captive to personal ambition,” Owida noted.
Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma said both Sifuna and Babu have fallen into a complicated political game involving powerful Mt Kenya figures who, he claims, are pursuing their own political interests.
“Both Sifuna and Babu are being pushed to the political abyss by Uhuru/Gachagua and their Mt Kenya cabal. They will not win the 2027 elections unless they go back to their current seats - like he did to Raila, Uhuru will shout ‘I did my best but the people decided otherwise’,” Kaluma said.
“The faster Babu retreats back to the ODM Party fold, repents and is accepted, the better for his political future.”
The emerging rivalry has exposed the difficulty of two ambitious politicians operating within the same political movement while simultaneously pursuing different top offices.
Babu has, however, maintained that his decision to concentrate on the gubernatorial race should not be interpreted as abandoning Sifuna’s presidential ambitions.
“I will still attend Linda Mwananchi rallies. I may not attend all because of the work that I will do in Nairobi. I want to shift my focus to Nairobi and deliver it to Linda Mwananchi, and I also humbly request Nairobians to vote for me as their governor because I know that I am the right candidate for this job,” Babu explained.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Sifuna requires Babu’s mobilisation networks and youth appeal as he builds his national presidential campaign, while Babu needs the broader Linda Mwananchi platform as he seeks to consolidate his Nairobi base.
