Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has refuted circulating claims on social media suggesting he has withdrawn from the Nairobi County gubernatorial race.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Owino dismissed reports that he intended to abandon Nairobi to contest in Kisumu County, insisting that the rumours are being spread by political rivals. “Forget about the fake information being peddled by my unworthy opponents. We are in Nairobi to stay,” the youthful lawmaker said.
Babu is set to challenge incumbent Governor Johnson Sakaja, who is seeking a second term after his 2022 election victory on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. Sakaja enjoys support from the national government, which also includes Babu’s own party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). The ODM leadership, however, remains divided over its political direction, and Babu has yet to publicly confirm the party vehicle he will use for the City Hall race.
Owino has been actively engaging with Nairobi residents in recent months, signalling his readiness to vie for the governor’s seat. There had been speculation that ODM could withhold its ticket, especially after former party leader Raila Odinga appeared to favour Sakaja. Despite this, ODM vice-chair Oburu previously reassured Babu that the party’s nomination process would be fair and merit-based, emphasizing that the rightful winner would receive the ticket.
Sakaja has also maintained a close relationship with ODM leadership, attending major party functions and surviving an impeachment attempt in September 2025, with both President William Ruto and Raila Odinga intervening to defuse the situation.