Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino are defecting from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to join the Wiper Democratic Movement.
The move, confirmed by political analyst Paul Safari, signals a profound rupture within ODM, stemming from the party’s controversial cooperation with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.
Both leaders have been vehement critics of ODM’s participation in the “broad-based government,” arguing it betrays the party’s watchdog role.
Their defection is not merely a crossover but a strategic acquisition. Sifuna is slated to be appointed Wiper’s Secretary-General, immediately positioning him as the united opposition’s candidate for Nairobi Senator in the 2027 polls.
Babu Owino, the firebrand MP popular with urban youth, is expected to assume the role of Deputy Party Leader and will be fronted as the coalition’s candidate for Nairobi Governor.
This double recruitment by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka marks a calculated bid to galvanize a formidable opposition nucleus. It directly capitalizes on the disillusionment of urban ODM supporters alienated by the party’s perceived coziness with the ruling regime.
The entry of Sifuna and Owino injects significant energy and a formidable Nairobi machinery into Wiper, transforming it into a potent hub for anti-government sentiment. It sets the stage for a fiercely contested battle for Kenya’s capital, where opposition politics have deep roots.
As the 2027 election cycle approaches, this bold defection redefines political alliances and threatens to redraw the capital’s electoral map, promising a heated duel for the city’s leadership.
