Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, emphasizing that the political dynamics in Nairobi differ significantly from those in rural constituencies.
Speaking during a discussion with a local broadcaster, Odhiambo said leaders must be understood within the context of their voter base, noting that urban politics across the world tend to be “oppositionist in nature.”
‘Nairobi Is a Different Bag’
Odhiambo contrasted her Suba North constituency with Nairobi, arguing that political messaging that resonates at the grassroots may not be viable in the capital.
“Me, I can go and say in Suba North I’m broad based and talk to Suba North people to follow me in broad based. But the Nairobis are totally different dynamics,” she said.
She added that while in Suba North she can openly push the “broad based” position left by the late Raila Odinga, the same approach would be politically risky for Nairobi leaders.
Sifuna, Babu Face a Complex Urban Electorate
Odhiambo cautioned critics against attacking Sifuna and Babu Owino for not fully embracing the broad-based direction, noting that they operate in a political environment shaped heavily by ethnic considerations.
“In politics, people look out also for their own interests. But you can’t look out at the politics of another without looking at your own interests,” she explained.
According to Odhiambo, Nairobi’s voter demographics make the city particularly sensitive to political positioning.
“Nairobi is a very different bag… Let us also be realistic about the nature of our politics in Kenya. It’s very ethnic based. And you’d want to hope that in urban places like Nairobi, that it is not. But it is,” she said.
She pointed out that leaders like Sifuna rely on support from diverse communities, including Kikuyu voters, and that aggressively pushing a broad-based agenda could jeopardize that delicate balance.
‘Baba Left Us in Broad Based’
Odhiambo reiterated that Raila Odinga clearly stated that the movement remains in the broad-based formation until 2027.
“So in Suba North, Baba said we are in broad based until 2027… But if Sifuna goes to Nairobi and pushes that agenda very strongly, he’s in trouble,” she said.
The MP stressed that her comments were not an indictment of Sifuna or Babu Owino but rather an acknowledgment of their political reality.
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