“This Will Be My Last Time”: Babu Owino’s Defiant Speech Exposes Deep ODM Rift

MOMBASA — Embakasi East MP Babu Owino delivered a fiery and ominous address to ODM members in Mombasa on Saturday, declaring it may be his “last time” speaking to party faithful as tensions within the Orange movement spilled into public view during the party’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

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In a dramatic virtual appearance orchestrated by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, who called him from Nairobi to address the Mombasa gathering, Babu painted himself as a silenced voice within a party leadership he suggested was stifling dissent.

“Current Bosses Will Not Allow Me to Speak”

“This will be the last time to speak,” Babu told the crowd, adding pointedly that “the current ODM bosses will not allow him to speak” going forward.

The lawmaker’s conspicuous absence from the main ODM @ 20 celebrations, despite being a prominent party figure, now appears deliberate rather than coincidental.

Babu praised party leader Raila Odinga as “a courageous man” but saved his sharpest words for the party’s direction and his own sidelining within its hierarchy.

Threat of Street Protests

In language that will alarm party leaders seeking to maintain unity, Babu vowed to return to confrontational politics if necessary.

“I will not stay quiet while Kenyans were oppressed,” he declared, promising to “lead protests if the government oppressed its people.”

The threat carries weight given Babu’s history of mobilizing youth protests and his willingness to challenge authority — traits that made him a rising star in ODM but may now be causing friction with party leadership.

“Why Was I Not Given a Post?”

Perhaps most explosively, Babu openly questioned why he had been passed over for positions within the party structure, going so far as to suggest he deserved the top job.

“He asked the leaders to give him a position, saying he was even fit to be the party leader,” according to sources at the event.

The public airing of such grievances during what should have been a unifying celebration underscores the depth of divisions within ODM.

A Party at the Crossroads

Babu’s outburst has exposed what appears to be a fundamental split within ODM over its relationship with the government.

One faction, reportedly including some senior leaders, favors a cooperative approach with the current administration. Meanwhile, another camp led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and constitutional lawyer James Orengo insists that ODM should field its own presidential candidate and maintain opposition credentials.

Sifuna’s decision to facilitate Babu’s virtual address — despite the MP’s absence from main events — may itself signal which side of the divide the Secretary General stands on.

The internal tensions threaten to overshadow what was meant to be a celebration of two decades of political struggle and achievement, raising questions about whether the Orange movement can maintain its unity as it enters its third decade.

Fighting Spirit or Party Discipline?

Babu urged ODM members to “fight,” echoing the party’s historical role as a vehicle for resistance against perceived injustice. But his remarks also highlighted a question now facing ODM: does “fighting” mean challenging the government from outside, or working within the system?

As the party that has defined itself through opposition politics for 20 years contemplates its future, Babu Owino’s defiant address may be remembered as the moment those tensions could no longer be contained.

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