How Babu Owino-Edwin Sifuna bromance was brewed

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna have become an unlikely political power duo, with their public appearances often giving Kenyans plenty to talk about.

From standing together during turbulent moments to publicly backing each other’s political battles, the two have built a friendship that appears to go beyond the usual political alliance.

And while their bromance has taken centre stage through the Linda Mwananchi movement, Babu says their bond was brewed long before the movement came into the picture.

On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Babu offered a glimpse into the history behind the alliance while publicly endorsing Sifuna for president ahead of the 2027 General Election.

“We have had a very great relationship with Edwin Sifuna, and this relationship has grown until it is where it is here today,” Babu said.

He then offered an account of a relationship that, according to him, was built through difficult moments rather than simply political convenience.

“It started at a point where Sifuna called me, when he was almost being suspended from ODM and I was there for my brother,” Babu said.

The remarks are significant because they suggest the relationship between the two politicians has involved moments when each stood by the other.

From ODM to Linda Mwananchi

Before Linda Mwananchi, Babu Owino and Edwin Sifuna had already built a close political relationship through ODM and the Kenya Moja movement.

“Before Linda Mwananchi, we had a movement called Kenya Moja,” Babu disclosed.

Their partnership grew amid political battles within ODM before eventually moving into Linda Mwananchi, where the two have remained prominent voices.

Despite speculation about a possible fallout, Babu has consistently defended their bond.

In August 2026, he publicly backed Sifuna’s presidential ambitions, saying: “No one in Linda Mwananchi knows Sifuna more than me.”

On Tuesday, September 15, Babu reaffirmed his support, saying he was behind Sifuna “100 per cent” as they chart their political paths towards 2027.

Sifuna stood with Babu in difficult moments

Babu’s recollection of their relationship also comes against the backdrop of some of his most turbulent political moments.

On September 19, 2019, Babu shared a photograph of himself in handcuffs while in court following his arrest and charge of subversion.

“A day like today I was arrested and charged with subversion, undermining the power and authority of an established system or institution. Long live the future. Long live HE. Babu Owino,” Babu wrote in the post.

Sifuna was present with him in court, an image that Babu later shared with the post.

The moment is significant in hindsight because it provides an early public glimpse of the relationship that would later become a major feature of opposition politics.

However, the available evidence does not establish that Sifuna paid Babu’s legal fees or bail in that case. The significance of the photograph is therefore better understood as evidence of political and personal solidarity rather than proof of a financial bailout.

The relationship was not one-way

Babu’s latest account also complicates the idea that Sifuna has simply been the senior political figure helping Babu.

According to Babu, their relationship took another turn when Sifuna himself faced the possibility of being suspended from ODM.

Babu says Sifuna called him at the time and that he stood by him.

That account is particularly relevant given the political battles that engulfed ODM in 2026.

Sifuna and other members of the Linda Mwananchi camp faced growing conflict with sections of the ODM leadership over the party’s direction, its relationship with the Kenya Kwanza administration and the future of the opposition.

Babu repeatedly defended Sifuna during the dispute.

In February, he described his relationship with Sifuna using the metaphor of the sun and moon, arguing that the two could occupy different political positions without competing with one another. He insisted there was no contest over who was “the boss” in their camp.

A bromance that has become political capital

The Babu-Sifuna relationship has therefore evolved from personal political friendship into something with potentially significant electoral consequences.

Babu has his own political base in Nairobi and is now positioning himself for the Nairobi governorship, while Sifuna is being pushed towards a national presidential role.

Their interests could therefore intersect in 2027.

Babu’s support gives Sifuna access to a politician with a strong grassroots following, particularly among younger Nairobi voters. In return, Sifuna’s national profile and organisational experience could strengthen Babu’s ambitions in Nairobi.

That makes their relationship more than a political bromance.

It could become one of the alliances that shapes the opposition’s strategy heading into the 2027 General Election.

For now, however, Babu’s message is clear: the relationship was forged before Linda Mwananchi, survived the turbulence within ODM and, at least publicly, remains intact.

“We have had a very great relationship with Edwin Sifuna,” Babu said.

The friendship that began long before Linda Mwananchi now sits at the centre of a much bigger political calculation.