Sifuna, Babu lead anti-Ruto charge in Nairobi

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino with city Senator Edwin Sifuna and Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba among other leaders in Embakasi on August 24, 2025./BABU OWINO

ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino on Sunday stepped up their anti-Ruto campaign in Nairobi, accusing the President of targeting critics with the recent bribery claims.

They were joined by other broad-based government critics, including Gathoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri), Caleb Amisi (Saboti), Anthony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South), Obadiah Barongo (Bomachoge Borabu), Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba) and Joshua Kimilu (Kaiti).

The firebrand politicians have in recent days escalated their criticism of President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of burdening Kenyans with punitive taxes, failing to address the high cost of living and neglecting urban youth.

Their joint offensive is quickly shaping up into the nucleus of an anti-Ruto force, one that could significantly tilt the country’s political ground ahead of 2027.

Speaking during a church service at Jesus Teaching Ministry (JTM), the leaders vowed to mobilise residents against what they termed 'state deception and economic betrayal'.

“We want to release the people of Kenya from the hands of Pharaoh and we are ready,” Amisi said.

Kibagendi said the team is growing bigger, with more MPs joining to push for regime change.

He said they will not allow Kenyans to be hoodwinked by the recently launched empowerment programmes being rolled out by leaders loyal to the administration.

“Our team has close to 70 MPs, we are not cowards. We have decided to walk together to save this country,” Kibagendi said.

“I want to appeal to all Kenyans to register as voters to ensure regime change in 2027. For us to beat the current government, we must unite.”

Sifuna said they will not be silenced when things are going bad in the country.

“In this Kenya Moja, we are the Meshack, Shadrack and Abednego. We are surrounded by people who want to finish us, we now need the fourth man,” he charged, calling on the church to pray for them.

“We have refused to kneel down; we have declared we are ready to die for what we believe in.”

The senator also termed the recent claims of bribery in Parliament as a plot targeting some members of Kenya Moja MPs critical of the Ruto’s administration.

“All the noise is to target MPs critical of this administration,” Sifuna claimed.

Babu also dismissed Ruto’s dossier on corruption in Parliament, saying the rot is worse in the Executive.

“First, start by arresting the people around you who are known for corruption,” Babu said.

The leaders also warned against plans to sell the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), claiming of a grand scheme to undervalue the strategic parastatal and buy it back through proxies.

The lawmakers said KPC, which controls the country’s fuel transport and storage network, is a national asset that must not be auctioned under the guise of privatisation.

Kibagendi accused some senior government officials of plotting to hand the facility to close allies in what he described as "daylight economic sabotage".

“They have undervalued KPC so that they buy it through your proxies who are coming from the UK,” he claimed.

“Today, they want to sell KPC without our input; we will resist,” Sifuna said.

The legislators vowed to block any attempt to dispose of the company, warning they would mobilise to stop what they termed as ‘a grand theft in progress’.

Gisairo also took on ODM leader Raila Odinga for pushing for the disbandment of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).

The Kitutu Masaba MP said it will be a great mistake to take away the fund to counties, warning that many students from poor backgrounds will be forced to drop out of school.

“Some people are fighting NG-CDF, which is the only hope for the many poor children; this is an injustice to the poor families of this country,” Gisairo said.

Raila recently called for the scrapping of NG-CDF, terming it unconstitutional and instead have the billions channelled to the counties.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

The Kenya Moja alliance, comprising youthful MPs from across the political divide, have of late stepped up their criticism of Ruto’s administration and have been going across the country decampaigning the President, whom they argue does not deserve a second term.