Why Babu Owino Often Appears Opposed to the Government – ODM MP Explains
Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has stepped forward to offer a fresh perspective on why Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna often seem to take strong, sometimes confrontational, political positions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Speaking on Monday, November 17, Odhiambo explained that the two Nairobi-based leaders operate in a highly unpredictable and competitive urban political environment.
Because of this, they must constantly adjust to the fast-changing mood of city voters, who tend to be more aggressive and opposition-leaning compared to rural constituents.
Odhiambo clarified that Babu and Sifuna are not rebelling against ODM as many assume. Instead, their political bases push them to safeguard the interests of Nairobi residents, whose politics naturally lean toward questioning authority.
She posed a rhetorical question to underline her point:
“What is the position of leaders whose voters are mainly in Nairobi? Is Nairobi predominantly broad-based? Of course not. Urban politics anywhere in the world are usually oppositionist in nature.”
She went on to explain that while she can easily promote a broad-based and unified political message in Suba North, Nairobi’s political culture is completely different.
For that reason, she sympathises with Sifuna and Babu whenever they are criticised for not aligning with certain political directions.
According to her, politicians also have to consider their personal survival and the expectations of the people who elected them.
Babu Owino has for a long time been at the centre of speculation regarding his future in ODM due to his bold style of politics and outspoken personality.
During the ODM at 20 celebrations, he openly challenged the party leadership, confidently declaring that he was equally capable of leading the party as its next party leader.
He has also remained a strong critic of the Kenya Kwanza government despite the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the administration and ODM.
Babu has repeatedly vowed to honour Raila Odinga’s legacy by calling for nationwide protests if the government fails to prioritise the needs of ordinary Kenyans.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who serves as ODM Secretary General, has also attracted internal criticism for his firm stand against cooperating too closely with the government.
Recently, on October 30, he warned ODM members against using the term “broad-based” to describe ODM’s relationship with Kenya Kwanza, insisting that the party must remain clear and principled in its stand.
Odhiambo further noted that Kenya’s political landscape has not fully evolved and continues to be heavily influenced by ethnicity—even in urban areas like Nairobi where one would expect more diversity and issue-based politics.
She stressed, “We must be honest about the nature of Kenyan politics. It is very ethnic-based, and even though you would hope urban places like Nairobi are different, they still lean that way.”
To underline their political stance, both Sifuna and Owino recently skipped a joint parliamentary group meeting attended by ODM and UDA members at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen, a session that was chaired by the President himself.
Overall, Odhiambo’s remarks paint a clearer picture of why the two young leaders often appear confrontational: they are responding to the unique and demanding political expectations of Nairobi voters while still trying to retain their loyalty to ODM.
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