NAIROBI, Kenya — Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has denied claims that he banged a table during a meeting after becoming frustrated over the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s position on his political ambitions.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Babu said he had never disrespected Raila, whom he regarded as both his political leader and an elder.
He said the meeting in question was attended by several ODM leaders, including George Aladwa, Mark Mwenje, Julius Mawathe, Anthony Oluoch, Peter Orero and Jalang’o.
Babu rejected claims that he had banged a table in anger during the meeting, saying his relationship with Raila was based on respect.
“We were in a meeting with Aladwa, Mwenje, Mawathe, Anthony Oluoch, Orero and Jalang’o. I did not bang any table on Baba Raila Odinga. Baba was my leader, and I respect the elders,” Babu said.
The lawmaker also questioned claims that he had a history of disrespecting Raila, noting that the former ODM leader never publicly accused him of such conduct while he was alive.
“Raila himself, if I had a problem with him, you never heard Baba say, even once, at a public rally that this old man had disrespected me,” he said.
Babu questions claims made after Raila’s death
Babu suggested that some individuals were using Raila’s death to make claims about private conversations and interactions that could no longer be independently verified.
He said several people had recently come forward claiming that Raila had told them various things about different political figures, raising questions about the authenticity of some of the accounts.
The Embakasi East MP said such claims should be treated cautiously, particularly when they concern private conversations involving a deceased political leader.
His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of his relationship with Raila and speculation about his political ambitions following the former prime minister’s death.
Gaucho’s account of alleged table-banging incident
Babu’s denial follows claims by Calvin Okoth, popularly known as Gaucho, that Raila had told him about an incident involving the Embakasi East MP.
Gaucho claimed Raila told him that Babu had banged a table after failing to secure the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
According to Gaucho’s account, Babu became frustrated after he was denied the position and subsequently spoke about his ambitions to become president.
Also Read: 10 parties pledge to carry on Raila Odinga’s legacy ahead of 2027 election
Babu has rejected that version of events, insisting that he did not disrespect Raila.
The allegations have added to the growing public discussion about the political relationship between the two figures and Babu’s ambitions within ODM and the wider opposition movement.
Dennis Onyango on Raila’s concerns about Babu
Raila’s former aide Dennis Onyango has also previously spoken about the late ODM leader’s view of Babu’s political ambitions.
Onyango said Raila considered Babu impatient and was concerned about the pace at which the Embakasi East MP was advancing his political career.
According to Onyango, Raila believed Babu was moving ahead of other politicians who had been waiting within the political succession associated with the Jaramogi Odinga legacy.
He argued that Babu’s rapid political rise could create tensions because several other leaders were also positioning themselves for future leadership roles.
Babu has rejected the portrayal of Raila’s alleged views about him, maintaining that his political ambitions remain intact.
The dispute highlights the competing accounts now emerging about Raila’s private political conversations and relationships following his death, with former allies and associates offering different interpretations of the late ODM leader’s views.
For Babu, however, the central message remains unchanged: he says he respected Raila as his leader and elder and denies that he ever confronted him in anger over his political ambitions.
