Babu Owino explains why he left Sifuna's Linda Mwananchi

Speaking in a recorded interview with a local media house on Friday, November 13, Babu said that as they planned to leave the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and pursue a new political path, they agreed that Sifuna would be the presidential candidate while he would serve as the party leader.

According to the lawmaker, the arrangement was also agreed upon by other members who had planned to leave ODM with them.

However, Babu claimed that after the group left the Orange Party, the agreement changed without his knowledge, with some members pushing for Sifuna to take up the party leadership position instead.

"Initially, we had agreed with Sifuna and other members that the moment we get the party out, Sifuna was to be the presidential candidate and I was to be the party leader, but things changed. I also don't know how things changed," Babu stated.

The Mwananchi Party leader said some members argued that a presidential candidate could not run without also leading the party, but he insisted that both he and Sifuna needed room to grow politically.

"Some were saying that a presidential candidate cannot fail to be a party leader. But we said that we needed to both of us grow. Both of us had to grow," he added.

His remarks come weeks after he left the Linda Mwananchi Movement and joined Muungano Party, which was later rebranded as the Mwananchi Party, in a move that sparked speculation about a fallout with Sifuna.

Sifuna had attempted to register the Linda Mwananchi Movement as a political party but faced a setback from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), prompting him to join the Equitable Party (TEP).

On Friday, November 13, TEP officially rebranded as the Linda Mwananchi Movement party, giving Sifuna the vehicle through which he intends to pursue his political ambitions.

Meanwhile, Babu said his decision to seek a separate political path was driven by the need to protect his own political interests, arguing that one leader should not have to advance at the expense of the other.

Citing the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Owino argued that politicians need their own independent party structures as security against shifting alliances. He noted that Gachagua himself admitted he would not have been impeached if he had owned his own political party.

"You remember Gachagua? He said clearly that if he had had his political party, he would have never been impeached,” Babu remarked.

He added: "And politics is about interest. There is no way one was to grow and leave the other one down."

He also defended the initial arrangement, arguing that having Sifuna as the presidential candidate and himself as party leader would have provided a way to hold the party accountable if the senator became President.

"So if Sifuna was to be the presidential candidate and Babu was to be the party leader, if Sifuna, by God's grace, becomes the president, what can a party leader do to a commander-in-chief? Nothing, right? But again, Babu would also be secure. Because there are a lot of insecurities when people get seats," he added.

Even so, the MP dismissed suggestions of competition between them, saying they were pursuing different political positions, with Sifuna eyeing the presidency and himself seeking the Nairobi gubernatorial seat.

"There can't be competition between Babu and Sifuna. Sifuna is going for president, Babu is going for governor," he said.

He maintained that he supports Sifuna's presidential ambitions, despite choosing to pursue his own political path as campaigns for the 2027 General Election gather pace.

The Embakasi East MP also addressed questions about whether the changes in the movement’s leadership structure had created mistrust between him and Sifuna.

Babu dismissed the idea that personal trust should form the foundation of political partnerships, arguing instead that political alliances should be negotiated around clearly defined interests and commitments to the electorate.

“Politics is not about trust. Politics is about interest. Put the interest on the table. How will wananchi benefit? That is the first interest that is served on the table,” he said.

In a candid admission, Babu said he did not necessarily trust his political friends, maintaining that personal relationships should not be confused with political agreements.

“I don’t trust my friends. I get friends. I have a wife who will give me friends. I don’t trust friends in politics,” he stated.