Oburu Calms Babu Owino’s Growing Panic Over ODM Nairobi Ticket

A political storm is quietly brewing inside the Orange Democratic Movement, but ODM acting leader Oburu Odinga has stepped in to pour cold water on fears that the party could deny Embakasi East MP Babu Owino the coveted Nairobi gubernatorial ticket in 2027.

Speaking during an explosive interview on Ramogi TV, Oburu openly assured the youthful MP that the party will honour the will of its members and hand him the ticket if he wins fairly in the nominations.

His remarks appeared aimed at cooling Babu’s visible anxiety and defiance that have been fueling whispers of a looming fallout between him and the party’s old guard.

“I do not see anything wrong with Babu Owino, although I hear there are some issues troubling him,” Oburu said with a calm smile.

“I do not think there can be any reason to deny him the ticket if he wins the nominations. If he wins, he will get it, so let him not run away from the party.”

Oburu threw the ball back to all ODM aspirants eyeing City Hall, daring them to face off in a clean and open contest instead of spreading fear or running to other parties.

“Anyone who wants the party ticket in the Nairobi governor race should just declare and square it out openly among each other. Let nobody run away because they think they will be denied a chance. Nobody can take the ticket away from you if you win it and you’re a member of the party,” he declared.

The remarks come amid a surge in Babu Owino’s political activities as he positions himself to succeed Governor Johnson Sakaja in 2027.

Babu Owino admitted to the bar as advocate of the High Court.

Babu has been everywhere lately, storming rallies, charity events and national forums with an unmistakable tone of defiance and youthful energy that has left ODM elders restless. His growing national popularity and strong online following have made him one of the most visible faces of ODM’s next generation, a status that some insiders believe has unsettled the party’s conservative wing.

Oburu, however, brushed aside claims of factional fights, warning against turning Raila Odinga’s succession into an ethnic or generational battlefield. He said leadership in Luo Nyanza, and within ODM, would emerge naturally from the people’s will and not from political boardrooms. “There’s no forum where a Luo kingpin is elected. A kingpin will sprout out of nowhere like a mushroom; someone will just emerge and take Raila’s space, but not from his agemates like myself,” he said firmly.

He added that the next wave of leadership in ODM will be determined by public acceptance, not handpicking. “There are young leaders cropping up, and one of them will step up and take that place. But if we handpick somebody and the people do not accept him, then they will still not be kingpin,” Oburu added.

Sources close to the ODM interim boss revealed that he has already sent emissaries to reach out to Babu Owino in a bid to ease tensions and reaffirm his place in the party. Oburu admitted that he had not met Babu personally but insisted that nothing sinister was happening behind the scenes. “Let him relax, there is no problem in ODM,” he said.

Meanwhile, the battle for City Hall is heating up. Governor Johnson Sakaja, who only survived impeachment in September after a delicate balancing act involving both President Ruto and the late Raila Odinga, now faces renewed pressure as ODM reorganizes itself.

With Raila gone, the political tide in Nairobi appears to be shifting fast, and Babu Owino is moving aggressively to occupy the vacuum.

So far, the Nairobi race has drawn in several heavyweights, including Sakaja, former PS Irungu Nyakera, former CS and presidential advisor Moses Kuria, and Embakasi North MP James Gakuya.

But none have generated as much noise or captured the youth vote like Babu, who has vowed to “take over the city and clean it up.”

As 2027 draws closer, all eyes will be on whether Babu Owino’s trust in Oburu’s promise will hold or if he will bolt from ODM to chart his own path. What is clear is that the battle for Nairobi has already begun, and ODM’s unity will be tested in the fiercest political showdown the capital has seen in years.

Babu Owino pays respect to the late Raila Odinga.