Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has dismissed claims of having a fallout with members of the family of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
In a statement on his social media account on Monday, December 15, the lawmaker assured that the family, particularly Raila Odinga's wife, Mama Ida, has always treated him as one of their own.
Owino affirmed that he still maintains a healthy relationship with other members of the Odinga family, including Winnie Odinga and Rosemary Odinga.
According to Babu, who dismissed claims circulating on social media that he had insulted the family, he still visits the family at their home, where he is always warmly received.
"Winnie Odinga is my friend, Junior is my Friend, and Rosemary is my friend too, how can I insult their only Mother?" Owino said.
"Mama Ida loves me like her own son, welcomes me home, and gives me food whenever I visit her. I can never insult such a mum. She's been good to me, and I love her," he added.
This comes a week after Winnie Odinga acknowledged Babu Owino as a friend of the family and a dedicated member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Winnie, who acknowledged Babu during the burial of her aunt Beryl Odinga in Bondo on Saturday, December 6, said that members affiliated with the ODM party should ensure that they are united even if they "don't like each other".
"When we talk about unity, it means that you accept people, even those whom you don't like, so mum, I'm borrowing your time, but I would like a friend of mine to stand up where he is because he is one of us. That is my friend Bau Owino over there," Winnie said
In response, through a social media post, the Embakasi Lawmaker appreciated Winnie's gesture for acknowledging his presence at the burial.
In his post, Owino suggested that there were some individuals in the burial who did not want him to speak.
"Thank you, Winney Odinga. You are such a darling. You could see through their dark hearts," the MP said in a social media post on December 7.
Owino has been in the eye of the storm since the passing of Raila Odinga, with murmurs of internal divisions in ODM.
