Kibwana warns Babu Owino, Sifuna against splitting Linda Mwananchi

Kibwana, in a post on X on Friday, September 25, 2026, described Linda Mwananchi as a “breath of fresh air” in Kenya’s political landscape, while cautioning its leaders against allowing the movement to fracture.

His remarks appeared directed at Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who have been at the centre of the movement’s mobilisation and the emerging debate over its political vehicle.

"In love, I must say: even if not perfect, Linda Mwananchi is a breath of fresh air which should avoid ethnicization,” Kibwana said.

He then invoked the biblical account of King Solomon, warning that the movement’s leaders would face harsh judgment if they allowed disagreements to destroy the political platform they had built.

“HE Edwin Sifuna & HE Babu Owino & TEAM, HISTORY & Kenya’s GENZ-OTE will judge you harshly if, like the lady before Solomon, you decide Baby LM be sliced into two,” he added.

Kibwana’s intervention comes at a delicate moment for Linda Mwananchi, which has rapidly emerged as one of the more visible opposition platforms ahead of the 2027 polls.

The movement has been associated with Sifuna, Babu, Siaya Governor James Orengo and other opposition figures and has held rallies in different parts of the country, including a major Nairobi mobilisation on September 13.

The Nairobi rally came amid heightened attention on whether the movement could translate its growing public visibility into a coordinated political vehicle for 2027.

However, disagreements have increasingly centred on the political party that should carry the movement into the election.

Reports have indicated that Babu wants Linda Mwananchi to use the Mwananchi Party, while Sifuna has been linked to the Ukombozi People’s Party. The disagreement has fuelled questions about whether the movement can maintain a common political structure while its leading figures pursue different electoral ambitions.

Despite the reported differences, Babu has publicly rejected suggestions that his relationship with Sifuna has broken down.

On September 18, Babu said he would continue supporting Sifuna and linked their relationship to the difficult period they experienced within ODM.

“Sifuna ni ndugu yangu, na sitamwacha nyuma kwa sababu mimi ndiye tulianza na yeye,” Babu said, according to People Daily.

He has also said his own political ambitions in Nairobi do not necessarily put him in competition with Sifuna, who is positioning himself for the presidency.