Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has come out to address his close association with Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka amid speculations of defecting from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
Speaking during an interview on a local radio station on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, Owino brushed off the claims, stating that his close ties with Kalonzo are purely personal.
“Up to now, Kalonzo has always communicated with Raila Odinga. He calls Raila, and Raila calls him back. If Raila and Kalonzo communicate, what is wrong when I communicate with Kalonzo?” he posed.
The lawmaker questioned why he was being labelled a rebel within the party for merely communicating with Kalonzo, who he insisted was his Azimio coalition principal before defecting to the united opposition.
“When Kalonzo was in Azimio, he was a good man. What has he done wrong now? Leaving politics out of this, Kalonzo can still talk to Baba; if Kalonzo can talk to Baba, why can’t I talk to him?” People have begun saying that I have started being rude.”
He explained that there was nothing wrong with maintaining contact with political allies, reiterating that his association with Kalonzo should not be misinterpreted.
The 2027 race
The response comes days after Kalanzo was officially endorsed by his party, Wiper, as the best opposition leader capable of unseating President William Ruto in the 2027 race for the country’s top seat.
Incidentally, the vocal MP is poised to run for Nairobi’s gubernatorial seat under the Wiper ticket, as Governor Johnson Sakaja currently receives political protection from the two bigwigs.
Sakaja is poised to be backed by the duo, if the ouster motion is anything to go by.
Addressing a rally on September 29, 2025, Owino commended Kalonzo for his resilience in supporting the former Prime Minister during the last elections despite not being named as the running mate.
While calling on Kenyans to come out in large numbers to vote out the current regime in 2027, the MP likened the anticipated situation in the next elections to the US polls in 2020, where Americans turned out to vote out President Donald Trump.
“In 2020, when Americans turned out in large numbers, they did not come out to vote for Joe Biden; they came out to vote out Trump. Likewise, in 2002, Kenyans came out to vote out Moi; they did not come out to vote in Kibaki,” Babu stated.
