Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has declined to oppose Winnie Odinga’s reported interest in the Nairobi senatorial seat, saying he will not attack the daughter of his late political mentor Raila Odinga as he pursues the city’s governorship.
Babu, who is seeking to succeed Governor Johnson Sakaja in the 2027 General Election, said Winnie had a right to pursue her political ambitions just as he was entitled to seek the county’s top seat.
The MP was responding to questions from Nairobi residents who sought to know his position on Winnie’s entry into the senatorial race and whether the governor and senator positions should be held by politicians from the same community.
“On Winnie, I will leave it up to you. I will be the last person to attack Baba’s daughter, Winnie, just because I want to be a governor of Nairobi,” Babu said.
He urged residents not to interpret his gubernatorial ambitions as a reason to engage in political battles with Winnie, whom he described as the daughter of his political mentor.
“Baba’s daughter Winnie has her dream, myself Babu I have my dreams. Allow her to pursue her dreams, and I pursue my dream,” he said.
The MP left the decision on who should occupy the two seats to Nairobi voters, saying the electorate would ultimately determine the county’s political leadership in 2027.
“You are the people who will decide. I return that back to you to make that decision. I will not fight the daughter of my boss, I will leave it at that,” he added.
The exchange came as Babu engaged residents on his political ambitions and the issues likely to shape Nairobi’s next election.
Some residents questioned whether the governor and senator positions should go to politicians from the same community, given the reported interest by both Babu and Winnie in the two seats.
Babu dismissed the suggestion that the positions could not be held by leaders from the same community, citing the outcome of the 2022 General Election.
He noted that Nairobi voters elected Edwin Sifuna as senator and Johnson Sakaja as governor in 2022, despite the two leaders coming from the same community.
The MP argued that the 2027 decision should similarly be left to voters rather than predetermined along community lines.
Babu has been positioning himself for the governorship, while Winnie’s reported interest in the Senate race could introduce another high-profile contest into the city’s political calculations.
