Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has issued a sharp warning to Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, accusing him of abandoning the ODM party and aligning with figures opposing President William Ruto’s second-term ambitions.
Speaking amid growing tensions within ODM, Kaluma criticized Babu’s support for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his continued association with Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna, who was ousted as party secretary-general.
In a statement, Kaluma claimed Babu, once considered a political heavyweight, had “been reduced to a flower girl for Edwin Sifuna within two weeks,” highlighting what he described as a rapid decline in influence.
He referred to the ongoing Linda Mwananchi rallies organized by Sifuna, asserting that Babu’s involvement undermines his political credibility and questions his loyalty to ODM.
Kaluma further questioned Babu’s political strategy, particularly his alleged support for Gachagua in the Nairobi political scene.
“The Gachagua plot—move around portraying ODM as divided; we will vote for you to get that useless Nairobi Senate Seat as you support uneducated Gakuya to be Nairobi Governor,” Kaluma said.
He warned Babu that remaining outside ODM could lead to “political death,” urging him to return to the party fold ahead of the 2027 elections.
The remarks come as ODM, under the leadership of Oburu Odinga, reportedly explores a pre-coalition arrangement with President Ruto’s UDA party, signaling strategic positioning ahead of the next general elections.
Kaluma’s comments also reflect internal fractures within ODM, with a faction loyal to Sifuna continuing to hold rallies and influence certain Nairobi constituencies.
Kaluma’s warning reveals the growing stakes within Nairobi’s political landscape and the high cost of perceived disloyalty in established party structures