Embakasi East MP Babu Owino says he decided to acquire his own political party after falling out with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) over the Nairobi governorship, while urging opposition leaders to unite under one coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Addressing journalists in Nairobi on Tuesday, Owino said his decision followed a February 2025 meeting at Bomas of Kenya that was organised by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and which he understood was intended to endorse Sakaja.
He said the meeting changed his political outlook and convinced him to seek an independent political vehicle.
“That particular moment, I knew that,” he said. “I decided from that day that I would have my own political power, my own political party.”
The lawmaker said he tried three times to register a political party but failed before managing to acquire one earlier this year.
He said the party later became part of discussions within the Linda Mwananchi movement, whose leaders were seeking a political vehicle ahead of the 2027 election.
The legislator said disagreements subsequently emerged over which party should be used, but maintained that having an independent political vehicle remained important to him.
He said his experience in Nairobi politics had taught him that elected leaders needed political support within county assemblies to effectively deliver their programmes.
“The moment I will be elected as the governor of Nairobi, I will not want to play so much politics. I will want to deliver,” he said.
Owino said a governor needed control of their Members of County Assembly (MCAs) to implement their agenda, citing the political challenges facing Nairobi.
He also called for the opposition to prioritise unity over competition among individual leaders, arguing that different political parties and voter blocs would be necessary to defeat the government in 2027.
“I am telling you, we cannot win this election, 2027 election, if the larger opposition does not come together,” he said.
He cited previous alliances, including NASA in 2017 and the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio coalitions in 2022, as examples of political groupings built around different interests.
“If we want to be genuine, our brother pushing presidency, number one, we must have coalition — a coalition that is going to bring different interest groups together,” he said.
Owino said political leaders should avoid alienating potential supporters and instead seek to expand their coalitions.
“In politics, there is only multiplication and addition. There is no division, and there is no subtraction,” he said.
He also urged leaders to spend more time strategising rather than campaigning, saying opposition parties needed to bring more political actors on board.
His remarks come as political activity gathers pace, with leaders seeking political vehicles ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Owino had in August announced plans to take his new political vehicle to Nyanza and challenge ODM's longstanding influence in the region.
“I will bring a party to Nyanza,” he said in Kisumu, promising democratic nominations and declaring that “there will be no direct tickets”.
“Any leader who does not do their work will have to go home,” he said.
He also appealed to young people to reject political violence, saying: “I don't want us to fight because we have been weaponised.”