Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has denied reports that he is abandoning his bid for Nairobi governor after meeting former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, calling the claims fake news spread by his rivals.

On Wednesday, posters circulated online claiming that Gachagua had advised Babu to drop out of the race for City Hall and instead seek the Nairobi Senate seat in the 2027 General Election. The posters appeared a day after Babu attended a meeting at Gachagua's Wamunyoro home in Nyeri.

'Banking on fake news'

Babu responded on social media the same day.

"My UNWORTHY OPPONENTS have given up and are now banking on FAKE NEWS," he wrote, as reported by People Daily and TV47.

He followed that with a Swahili line, "Hii Nairobi ilienda kitambo sana," which loosely means Nairobi was settled long ago.

He then added: "The Gubernatorial race is between BABU OWINO vs PAUL ONGILI." Paul Ongili is the MP's official name, so the remark was a joke suggesting he sees no serious opponent other than himself.

People Daily and TV47 both noted that the claim attributed to Gachagua had not been independently confirmed. Gachagua had not publicly responded by Thursday.

The Wamunyoro meeting

Babu was among the leaders who met Gachagua at Wamunyoro on Tuesday, 20 October, alongside Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and other figures linked to the Linda Mwananchi movement, Kenyans.co.ke reported. People Daily published a photo of Babu and Gachagua shaking hands at the residence.

The meeting was Gachagua's first major political engagement since returning from the United States and has been read as a step towards a broader opposition alliance. The Standard has since reported that Gachagua's DCP and Linda Mwananchi plan a series of joint rallies, starting in Nyahururu this weekend.

A crowded Nairobi field

The posters touched on a real tension within the opposition. Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, a Gachagua ally, has also declared interest in the governor's seat, and some reports suggest Gachagua favours him for the position on a DCP ticket. If the opposition hopes to present one candidate per seat in Nairobi, someone will eventually have to step aside.

Babu, who announced the Mwananchi Party as his vehicle for 2027 in September, has repeatedly said he will run for governor. In January, he also denied reports that he would instead seek a parliamentary seat in Kisumu County, Kenyans.co.ke reported.

Other names in the race include Governor Johnson Sakaja, who is expected to defend his seat, former county chief officer Geoffrey Mosiria, businessman Ronald Karauri, Agnes Kagure, Margaret Wanjiru, George Aladwa and Tony Gachoka. Nairobi had more than 2.4 million registered voters in 2022.

The race for the Senate seat Babu was allegedly being steered towards is also busy, with Winnie Odinga and Jalang'o among those linked to it.

For now, Babu insists he is staying put, and the opposition has not said how it plans to settle competing claims to the capital's top job.

Photos: @HEBabuOwino/X via People Daily (Babu Owino and Rigathi Gachagua at Wamunyoro); TV47 (Babu Owino).