Raila Odinga’s longtime aide, Dennis Onyango, has opened up about the former Prime Minister’s views on Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, revealing that Raila considered the outspoken legislator politically impatient and potentially disruptive to his support base.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Onyango said Raila closely followed Babu’s political rise and admired his energy and influence among the youth, but was at times uncomfortable with the speed at which the MP was advancing politically.
“Raila thought Babu was going to be trouble to his base. He thought the guy was very impatient,” Onyango revealed.
“He didn’t appreciate the speed Babu was moving,” he added.
According to Onyango, Raila believed Babu Owino’s aggressive political style and rapid rise could unsettle established figures within ODM and alter the party’s internal dynamics.
Despite those concerns, Babu remained one of Raila’s most vocal defenders for years and cultivated a strong support base, particularly among young people and university students.
However, following Raila’s death, Babu Owino fell out with influential figures within ODM and later joined forces with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other leaders perceived to be rebels within the party.
The group went on to form the Linda Mwananchi movement, a faction that has been crisscrossing the country criticizing the broad-based government arrangement between ODM and the ruling UDA party.
The Linda Mwananchi camp has positioned itself as a people-centred political movement advocating for ordinary Kenyans amid the rising cost of living and growing economic challenges facing households across the country.
