Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has identified The Mwananchi Party (TMP) as the political vehicle he intends to use in the 2027 General Election, including his bid for the Nairobi governor’s seat. Babu made the announcement on Friday, September 18, while attending the burial of Teacher Jeremiah Kisero in Central Nyakach, Kisumu County. Kisero was the brother of Kisero Jr., a friend of Babu and the president of Kenya Methodist University (KeMU).
Speaking during the ceremony, Babu sought to downplay reports of divisions between him and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna over the political direction of the Linda Mwananchi movement. Babu explained that Sifuna would lead the Ukombozi People’s Party (UPP), while he would serve as the leader of The Mwananchi Party. He suggested that the two parties could work together through a coalition while remaining part of the broader Linda Mwananchi political movement.
Babu reiterated his support for Sifuna’s presidential ambitions, saying he would campaign for the Nairobi senator under the Linda Mwananchi platform. “We will support Sifuna as the presidential candidate for Linda Mwananchi. We will form a coalition within Linda Mwananchi, then form another with the broader United Opposition,” Babu said. This move is seen as an attempt to strengthen the alliance between the two leaders.
Babu is reported to have acquired former Kitui Governor Kivutha Kibwana’s Muungano Party, which has since reportedly been rebranded as The Mwananchi Party ahead of the 2027 elections. Meanwhile, Ukombozi People’s Party is reportedly a rebranded version of the United Democratic Party (UDP), which was previously associated with the late former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo.
The emerging arrangement would allow Babu and Sifuna to maintain separate party structures while continuing to operate within the wider Linda Mwananchi movement. However, the choice of political vehicle has since become a point of disagreement within the movement, with Babu pushing The Mwananchi Party while Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has backed Ukombozi People’s Party for Sifuna’s presidential bid.
The competing positions have prompted questions about the movement’s leadership structure and the political arrangements it will adopt ahead of the 2027 General Election. Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has dismissed reports of a serious split within Linda Mwananchi, describing the disagreements as part of the normal challenges that arise within political movements.
Political parties are required to submit the names and specimen signatures of their authorised officials to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) by October 15, 2026. The debate over Linda Mwananchi’s political vehicle comes as parties prepare for key electoral milestones ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Key points
- Babu Owino unveils The Mwananchi Party as his vehicle for the 2027 General Election.
- The party will operate within the broader Linda Mwananchi movement.
- Disagreements over party vehicles have emerged within Linda Mwananchi.
