A disagreement over the party that will carry Linda Mwananchi’s 2027 political ambitions has emerged as a fresh obstacle to efforts to bridge the differences between Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has continued to push Ukombozi People’s Party as the platform through which Sifuna will seek the presidency, despite Babu maintaining that his party had initially been selected to serve as the movement’s political vehicle.
The two positions have placed the choice of party at the centre of the dispute within Linda Mwananchi, with attempts to calm the growing tensions facing the movement now having to contend with the disagreement.
Babu has referred to what he says was an earlier understanding that his party would be used before Ukombozi was introduced into the arrangement. He has since maintained that the options should either be his party or a coalition that would bring together the interests of all those involved.
The Embakasi East MP has remained firm on the issue even as efforts continue to reconcile him with Sifuna.
“Along the way, one principal joined us and came with Ukombozi political party. I called Sifuna, we met at his office and asked him about Ukombozi People’s Party. After that there has been a little push and pull,” Babu said.
Natembeya, in response, reaffirmed his position that Ukombozi would remain the political vehicle for the movement ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Ukombozi People’s Party and Sifuna will be the ones saving this country,” Natembeya said shortly after Babu addressed journalists.
Ukombozi People’s Party is the rebranded United Democratic Party, which was initially associated with former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo.
Natembeya has continued to associate the party with Sifuna’s presidential ambitions, showing little indication that he is prepared to reconsider the issue as leaders attempt to manage the divisions within Linda Mwananchi.
The governor has also drawn attention to his position on Luhya political mobilisation, after urging the community to organise itself and use its numbers when engaging other communities politically.
In a viral video, Natembeya told the Luhya community not to apologise for coming together politically, arguing that other communities were also organising around their leaders.
“We are also building our house which we will use in the negotiation table with other people, please do not feel guilty if we mobilise as a community because others are also mobilising as their communities,” Natembeya said.
He cited political figures from several parts of the country whom he said represented their respective communities in the political arena.
“If you go to Rift Valley there is Ruto, if you go to Central there is Rigathi, in Nyanza you will get Orengo, Oburu and Babu, Kisii there is Matiang’i, Ukambani there is Kalonzo.”
Natembeya said the Luhya community should come together before engaging other communities in political negotiations, arguing that entering such talks as a divided group would weaken its position.
“Only When Luhya said we come together they are shouting tribalism, let them call us tribalists but let us use our numbers in the table where Kenya’s issues are decided,” Natembeya said.
His comments come as Linda Mwananchi grapples with disagreements over the movement’s political direction and the party through which it intends to pursue its 2027 plans.
The dispute has put Natembeya among the Luhya leaders at the centre of the controversy, with critics accusing him of contributing to the tensions that have emerged within the movement.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi on Wednesday accused the governor of worsening the divisions, saying his involvement in the movement had contributed to Babu being pushed aside.
“Natembeya joined Linda Mwananchi, which I founded, and he has started pushing people like Babu out. You can even see them arguing over a microphone,” Amisi said on Wednesday.
“You want Sifuna to be president, yet you are disrupting the people who are supposed to help make him president....
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has meanwhile suggested that Babu’s reaction to the disagreement could be linked to concerns over his own political ambitions.
Khalwale said he had followed the dispute because of his interest in Linda Mwananchi and argued that Babu may have reacted strongly to discussions circulating on social media.
“I followed this issue because I'm obviously interested in Linda Mwanaichi and I think Babu is either overreacting to social media or he has panicked because the import of that social media discourse is that his ambition is under threat,” Khalwale told the Star.
“So, we are dealing with a leader who has either panicked or is overreacting to that. Whether what we are seeing will affect the popularity of Linda Mwananchi, I will say that only time can tell.”
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has, however, played down reports of a serious personal dispute between Sifuna and Babu, saying the two leaders themselves do not have a fight.
Speaking at Radio Generation on September 17, 2026, Onyonka said much of the tension being witnessed was coming from supporters on both sides as senior politicians continued efforts to bring the two camps together.
“We will try and work on Babu. We will try and work on his relationship with Sifuna. They don't have a fight per say. You have their people making noise; it is their people. We are working on it, and once everybody comes on board and we sit together, all shall be okay,” he said.