Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and former Prime Minister Raila
Odinga at a past event. [PHOTO: FILEEmbakasi East MP Babu Owino has downplayed reports that his relationship with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is strained.
Babu said his relationship with Raila is “extremely okay”, though he acknowledged there are some differences.
“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,” Babu told Citizen TV.
“In a political set up, Baba is my father, and I know he has no problem with me, and I have no problem with him because he is my father.”
Asked why he was absent when President William Ruto and Raila officially signed a political pact on March 7, 2025 signaling an endeavour to work together in one government, Babu said he had several reasons for missing the event.
The Embakasi East MP explained that he had other important things to attend to.
“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.
Babu pointed out that he has no problem with Raila and Ruto teaming up to work together.
“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 explained.
The Embakasi East MP maintained that he just wants to see the cost of living and taxation going down.
“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 added.
He said poor organisation within the government is to blame for the mess in Kenya.
“When you are running a country, you must do it with professionals who are not greedy,” he said.
