- Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai claimed he abandoned his plan to run for the Embakasi East parliamentary seat, paving the way for Babu Owino
- The popular county MP warned Babu not to try to run for Nairobi governorship in 2027, claiming that it could end the MP’s political career
- He also challenged Babu’s popularity ratings and dismissed claims that he is ready to succeed Raila Odinga as the political king of Luo Nyanza.
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai has sparked a debate after he claimed that he withdrew from the plan to compete for the Embakasi East parliamentary seat in favor of him Grandfather Owino before the 2017 election.
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Speaking during an interview on Radio 47 on Monday, December 8, Alai said he was seriously preparing to compete for the seat after being approached by Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed.
According to him, the decision to resign was not a political weakness but a personal choice based on the situation at the time.
“I was supposed to be the Member of Parliament for Embakasi East in 2017. Junet came to me, and I prepared for the campaign. I even bought a pickup truck, which I still need to date. But I had other responsibilities,” Alai said.
Why did Alai resign from the Embakasi East parliamentary race?
Alai explained that she had a small child at the time and was also enrolled in further studies at the United States–Africa International University (USIU–Africa).
With two years left before the campaign period, he was afraid to postpone his professional goals, mainly because, in his words, age was catching up with him.
He added that it was during this time of reflection that he wondered why Babu Owino could not take the opportunity instead.
At that time, the incumbent member of parliament had already announced that he did not want to be re-elected.
“It was my seat,” Alai insisted. “The incumbent said he was not contesting. Babu had once contested under the National Alliance (TNA). We told him there was no way he could win with that party and we sent him to ODM in 2016.”
Babu went on to grab the Embakasi East seat in 2017 and retain it in 2022 on the ODM ticket.
Can Babu work as a governor in Nairobi?
Alai used the interview to warn Babu against running for Nairobi governorship in 2027, saying that the difficulty of managing the capital could ruin his political path.
According to Alai, Nairobi needs expertise that Babu does not have.
He mentioned the experience of the current governor Johnson as an example, saying that the job can humble even the most courageous politicians.
“It requires management skills. The day he becomes governor, his political career will die. Sakaja used to say he was a president-in-waiting. Today, even saying ‘governor-in-waiting’ is difficult. He is not sure if he will get a second term,” Alai warned.
Does Babu deserve high positions in parliament?
MCA increasingly ignored opinion polls that often place Babu among the best performing MPs.
He claimed that the positions do not reflect the real work that the parliamentarians do.
“Shouting ‘tibim’ and ‘tialala’ on the loudspeaker is very sweet. But more than slogans, the performance of a member of parliament is seen first in the parliamentary committees they serve. You will never see Babu working in any committee for more than two minutes. You will never hear him contributing meaningfully to Parliament without harassing his fellow parliamentarians. There is no performance there, it is like an empty ‘debe’,” Alai said.
He also rejected suggestions that Babu is ready to replace the late ODM leader Raila Odinga as a major political figure in Luo Nyanza.
Alai said the region still has leaders with great experience.
He mentioned the governor of Kisumu Anyang’ Nyong’o, the governor of Siaya James Orengoand Seme MP James Nyikal as figures that Babu cannot ignore in any succession discussion.
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