The announcement by Winnie Odinga, the youngest daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, that she will contest the Nairobi senatorial seat in the 2027 General Election has drawn criticism from Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu.
Winnie, who is also an East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP, announced her bid on Thursday during a memorial for her late father in Siaya County.
The seat is currently held by Edwin Sifuna, who has declared his intention to run for president on The Equitable Party (TEP) ticket, which is in the process of being rebranded as Linda Mwananchi.
On Friday, Nyamu questioned whether Nairobi could accommodate Winnie’s senatorial ambitions alongside those of Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who is seeking the governorship.
Nyamu argued that the two politicians, who are from the Luo community, could face competing interests in a city whose electorate comprises communities from across Kenya.
“In a city of over 40 tribes, we can’t have Babu Owino and Winnie Odinga, both from the same tribe, in one political lineup. One of them will inevitably be a casualty of Nairobi’s political balancing act,” she said.
Babu has already begun campaigning for the governorship, expressing confidence in his bid to succeed incumbent Johnson Sakaja in 2027.
Nyamu, who has declared her intention to contest the Nairobi woman representative seat, said Winnie should consider remaining in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) if her objective was to preserve her father’s political legacy.
“The logical thing for Winnie Odinga will be to join ODM because she precisely said that she wants to carry on the legacy of her father. You cannot carry on the legacy of your father outside the party he built for decades,” she said.
Nyamu also warned that Winnie’s possible association with Linda Mwananchi could complicate Babu’s gubernatorial ambitions, particularly if Sifuna’s political camp gives priority to the former prime minister’s daughter.
“If Winnie is going to join Linda Mwananchi then she will completely destroy Babu Owino,” Nyamu said, arguing that Nairobi’s cosmopolitan character made it difficult for the two politicians to secure positions on the same political platform.
She added that Babu was unlikely to abandon his gubernatorial ambitions and could seek an alternative political vehicle if the emerging alignment did not accommodate his interests.
