'My record as MP proves I can run Nairobi,' Babu Owino defends bid to unseat Governor Sakaja

Embakasi East lawmaker Babu Owino has sought to justify his bid for the Nairobi governorship by pointing to his record in Parliament, arguing that his performance in managing the constituency demonstrates that he can effectively run the capital.

Owino, who is seeking to become Nairobi Governor in the 2027 General Election under The Mwananchi Party (TMP) within the larger Linda Mwananchi formation, said managing a constituency and running a county both require effective leadership and service delivery.

“So long as you can be given the responsibility of managing a constituency and you do it well, then it’s only fair that you can manage a county also fairly well,” Owino said in a video interview posted on his social media platforms on Monday.

The legislator cited his performance in Embakasi East as evidence of his ability to deliver services, pointing to his ranking as Kenya's top-performing Member of Parliament in the 2026 Infotrak CountyTrak Performance Index.

The July survey placed Owino first among MPs with an 80 per cent approval rating, based on a nationwide assessment conducted between January and May 2026.

The survey covered all 47 counties and assessed elected leaders using indicators including public service delivery, accessibility, responsiveness and fulfilment of leadership expectations.

Owino said the ranking was evidence that he had been tested in public office and could therefore be entrusted with the larger responsibility of running Nairobi County.

“There are 290 MPs elected in Kenya and we’re always ranked. Every time we’re ranked, Babu Owino comes out as the person who has managed CDF well and worked well in terms of service delivery,” he said.

The Embakasi East MP also criticised past Nairobi Governors, accusing them of failing to discharge their responsibilities and relying on the national government to address issues falling under the county administration.

“Nairobi has been electing Governors who are not serious with their work,” Owino said, referring to previous county administrations as “jokers”.

He singled out former Governor Mike Sonko, saying he was the only Nairobi County chief who was not given an opportunity to complete his tenure.

Owino argued that a Governor who repeatedly transfers responsibility for county functions to the national government demonstrates an inability to run the county, in what was presumably a dig at sitting county boss Johnson Sakaja.

Sakaja in February this year signed a Ksh.80 billion cooperation framework with the national government, in which the latter assumed financial and operational responsibility for a sweeping set of functions that have long been constitutionally vested in Nairobi County.

“If a Governor is relieving himself from the responsibilities that he was given by Nairobians; responsibilities of doing roads, giving them fresh and sufficient supply of water, creating a good environment for business, creating jobs, dealing with health and education…if you see a governor releasing those responsibilities to the national government, it tells you that the governor is incompetent,” said Owino.

He said his proposed administration would focus on service delivery in areas including roads, water, healthcare, business and employment.

“Can Babu Owino deliver that service? Yes. Can Babu Owino construct the road that we want? Yes. Can Babu Owino give us water? Yes,” he said.

“Can Babu Owino give us a conducive environment to do our businesses? Yes. Can Babu Owino ensure that there are drugs and medics and county workers are paid on time? Yes. Can Babu Owino facilitate the creation of jobs within Nairobi County? Yes.”

Owino also defended his political appeal in Nairobi, arguing that his support in Embakasi East cuts across ethnic lines despite the constituency having a large Kikuyu population.

“Nairobi people are just looking for service,” he said, adding that residents from different communities would support a leader based on their ability to deliver services rather than their ethnicity.

He further defended his leadership record by citing his time as a student leader, saying he was elected to four terms while at the university.

Owino said his repeated election by university students demonstrated that he had been tested as a leader before entering elective politics.

“Some people have also been saying that ‘Babu, while he was at the university, used to do this or that…Babu was rogue…’ At the university I was elected for a period of four terms. University students are intellectuals; Babu cannot lie to doctors, journalists, accountants, teachers, engineers and actuaries,” he said.

“It means that you’re the best among the rest, that you’ve been tested and tried, that you’ve been working. Students have been causing revolutions across the world, do you think students cannot deal with one student leader if he’s rogue?”

Owino has in recent weeks stepped up his preparations for the Nairobi gubernatorial contest, unveiling his own The Mwananchi Party (TMP) as the political vehicle he intends to use in the 2027 election.

He is among the leaders positioning themselves for the Nairobi governorship ahead of the 2027 General Election, with the race expected to attract several candidates seeking to succeed Governor Johnson Sakaja.