In-house dissension is rife in the ODM party, as the outfit that purported to be the official opposition party has gone to bed with the Kenya Kwanza government following the appointment of its party members, including the party chairman and deputy party leaders to the cabinet.
The move has been viewed by progressive youth as retrogressive to the change championed by the recent call for accountability, which has a pulsating effect across the country. Babu Owino, the firebrand Embakasi East MP, following the appointments to cabinet, distanced himself from the party and claimed to be the official opposition leader. Now, is Babu worthy of the Mantle?
Over the weekend, Babu Owino embarked on a tour of Migori County, holding a rally in Sori, Nyatike Sub-county. During his address to the charged crowd, Babu decried the high cost of living in the country, highlighting the high level of youth unemployment and blaming the Kenya Kwanza regime for the deplorable state of the economy.
“In case we do not put pressure on Ruto and his government, the situation will continue to get worse,” he said to the charged crowd. He also said that not everybody can get into government, adding that there has to be an opposition to keep the government in check. “When Raila lands the AU job, be prepared to follow me,” he said.
Babu gained popularity during his days at the helm of SONU leadership, a period in which he is credited for fighting for student rights and ensuring apt service delivery by institutions of higher learning countrywide. His exploits greatly resonate with the youth in the country and political commentators credit this to his rise to national politics.
However, critics have downplayed his political mileage crediting it to his affiliation to the ODM party and Raila. One X user, @Paulodh91 said, “ODM does not fear anybody. If so they could have succumbed to his theatrics. He cannot leave the party because he knows he needs the party more than it needs him.”
Babu who claims to be on the side of the oppressed majority has been vocal about his dissent to ODM’s darling to the government, going as far as claiming to be the official opposition leader in solidarity with the rising youth.
Frankline Okeyo, a youth and resident of Sori, where Babu toured over the weekend claims the ground has shifted and politics is no longer a game of popularity but of ideologies.
“Babu’s sentiments resonate with a majority of the youth. The older generation sold us out and it is evident with the state of our nation’s economy. It is no longer business as usual, Babu is the leader our generation needs to salvage our nation from the dogs and secure our future,” he told Switch News.
