Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has dismissed reports circulating on social media suggesting that he has shelved his gubernatorial ambitions in Nairobi County.
In a brief statement shared on Wednesday, the youthful lawmaker rejected claims that he was abandoning the Nairobi race to contest in Kisumu County instead.
According to the MP, the misinformation is being spread by his opponents, and he maintained that he is firmly focused on the Nairobi race with no plans to drop out.
"Forget about the fake information being peddled by my unworthy opponents. We are in Nairobi to stay," Babu said.
Babu will be going up against incumbent Johnson Sakaja, who hopes to clinch a second term after serving his first five years, having been elected in the 2022 general elections under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
Sakaja enjoys the backing of the broad-based government, which includes Babu's own party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). However, ODM leadership appears divided on the party’s future, with Babu yet to confirm the political vehicle he will use to vie for the City Hall seat.
Babu has been positioning himself as one of the youthful politicians likely to shape the next phase of ODM leadership. In recent months, the Embakasi East MP has intensified his public engagements, signalling his intention to contest the Nairobi governor's seat.
However, there have been fears that the party could deny him its ticket, particularly after former ODM leader Raila Odinga appeared to lean towards incumbent Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Nevertheless, during an interview on a local TV station in October last year, ODM party leader Oburu dismissed concerns that Babu would be denied the party ticket, urging him to remain patient and loyal to the movement.
He assured that ODM’s nomination process would be transparent and merit-based, adding that “whoever wins fairly will automatically be awarded the ticket.”
Before Raila’s passing, Sakaja had cultivated a close working relationship with the ODM leader and was seen attending several of the party’s key functions.
In September, Sakaja survived an impeachment attempt by Nairobi MCAs after both President William Ruto and Raila intervened to calm the situation.
