Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has affirmed that he remains on good terms with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, despite Odinga’s support for Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Speaking on Tuesday morning during an interview on Ramogi FM, the legislator stated that he would continue supporting the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, despite their differing political views.
During the interview, Babu also dismissed claims that he was planning political retaliation against Raila, insisting that Odinga remained his party leader and deserved due respect.
"Our divergent political opinions will not stop me from supporting Raila Odinga, because he is still my leader, and as my father, I cannot fight him. As Babu Owino, I love Raila," he stated.
"In a house, you may find that a father loves one child more than the other. However, at the moment, the person being supported has never been part of our house," he added.
Addressing his relationship with Raila, the opposition lawmaker affirmed that he remained a member of the ODM party despite ongoing internal political disputes.
However, he called on the ODM party leadership to consider supporting its members first before replicating the same support to leaders affiliated with other political parties.
According to Babu, the immense sacrifices he has made on behalf of the party, including multiple arrests during anti-government demonstrations, should have guaranteed him the party’s support.
"I have been arrested eight times—no Member of Parliament has been arrested more than me. I have also been abducted and detained for three days, and all these things happened because of my love for the party," Babu Owino stated.
Babu Owino’s comments come weeks after Raila endorsed Sakaja, a member of the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, for re-election in 2027.
Addressing Kenyans on 10 February, moments before travelling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the former Prime Minister stated that he wanted Nairobi’s leadership to support Sakaja in delivering on his mandate as Nairobi County Governor.
"As I head off to Addis, I want Nairobi to remain firm and united so that my man here (Sakaja) can stay focused and deliver on his mandate efficiently," Raila declared.
