Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has dismissed claims of a rift between him and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, affirming that their relationship remains intact despite ideological differences.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Babu Owino stated that he still regards Raila as his political leader and likened any disagreements between them to those that naturally occur within a family.
“Baba is my political leader. Even in a family, there could be issues here and there, but you do not allow it to go under your skin. Those are normal things,” he explained.
Speculation about a fallout arose after Babu was noticeably absent from the March 7, 2025, event where President William Ruto and Raila Odinga signed a political pact to work together within the government. Addressing his absence, Babu clarified that he had other commitments that required his attention.
“My people are supreme. They come first. Even in a family, you might not agree 100 per cent. There are ideological differences that we have,” he stated.
The youthful MP further asserted that he has no problem with Raila and Ruto teaming up as long as the partnership delivers meaningful change to Kenyans.
“Baba joining Ruto is not a bad thing. But Baba joining Ruto and Ruto not working for Kenyans is not a good thing. If Baba is joining Ruto and Ruto is working for Kenyans, then we do not have a problem,” he said.
Babu Owino underscored the need for the government to prioritize reducing the cost of living, creating jobs for the youth, and improving social services, including the Social Health Authority.
“We want to see our youth getting jobs, services being rendered. We want to see Social Health Authority working. Those are the things we want to see. Me going there or not was not going to add any value to anybody,” he noted.
He concluded by criticizing the inefficiencies within the government, stating that poor organization and greed among officials are responsible for Kenya’s current economic challenges.
“When you are running a country, you must do it with professionals who are not greedy,” Babu remarked, reiterating his commitment to fighting for the interests of Kenyans.
