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Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has ruled out stepping down from the 2027 Nairobi governorship race in favour of Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, insisting he would rather defeat his rivals at the ballot.
Owino, who leads The Mwananchi Party and plans to run on its ticket, spoke as pressure grows within the opposition for a single candidate.
Gakuya is the candidate of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), whose leader, Rigathi Gachagua, has said the party will field candidates across Nairobi, with the governorship as its main focus.
Asked whether he would withdraw, Owino presented himself as the front-runner. “How do you step down in a race that you are already winning? You are already a lion, and these other people are tortoises,” he said, adding that he does not want his opponents to step aside but to be defeated.
The MP, serving his second term, pledged to resign within a year if he fails to deliver as governor. “If I don’t perform, I will resign; I will not even wait,” he said. He cited his record in Embakasi East and argued that managing a constituency prepares one to run the capital.
Owino also promised to confront cartels in the county’s garbage, water and roads sectors, saying he knows how they operate and would enforce strict procurement rules. He vowed to clear pending bills, a long-standing complaint among suppliers and contractors.
He faces a crowded field. Governor Johnson Sakaja has defected from UDA to ODM to seek re-election. Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri was unveiled as UDA’s aspirant on November 9, while Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku has also said he will seek the UDA ticket. Makadara MP George Aladwa is vying for the ODM ticket, and KANU’s Tony Gachoka has declared his bid.
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