The race for Nairobi's governorship in 2027 is already getting crowded, and Homa Bay MP Peter Kaluma has thrown a grenade into the mix with a bold strategic proposition.

Politics in Kenya is the art of the possible, but Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma wants it to be the art of the pragmatic. in a tweet that has set political tongues wagging, Kaluma offered some unsolicited, "big brother" advice to Embakasi East firebrand Babu Owino: Dump the Sifuna camp and become Johnson Sakaja's running mate.

The logic, according to Kaluma, is rooted in the brutal arithmetic of tribal and coalition politics. He argues that Babu Owino's current trajectory—aligning with Senator Edwin Sifuna and flirting with the disenfranchised Mt. Kenya voters loyal to Rigathi Gachagua—is a dead end. "Gachagua's camp will front James Gakuya," Kaluma warned, suggesting that when push comes to shove, the Mt. Kenya voting bloc will revert to one of their own for the top city job, leaving Babu out in the cold.

The Sakaja Proposition

Kaluma's proposal for a Sakaja-Babu ticket is audacious. It envisions bridging the divide between the current UDA governor and the ODM base. "Agree to be Governor Johnson Sakaja's running mate in 2027 as you rebuild your bid for 2032," Kaluma advised. It is a call for patience—a virtue rarely found in the DNA of Babu Owino, whose brand is built on "Comrade Power" and immediate action.

The ODM Civil War

This exchange highlights the deepening fissures within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). On one side, the "Young Turks" like Sifuna and Babu are carving out their own path, aggressively touring the country and challenging the status quo. On the other, the "Old Guard"—represented here by Kaluma and the Oburu Oginga faction—are urging caution, calculation, and adherence to traditional party structures.

For Babu Owino, the choice is existential. Does he bet on his own popularity and risk colliding with the Gachagua machine? Or does he play the long game, swallow his pride, and play second fiddle to Sakaja? The 2027 chessboard is being set, and the first pawns are already being sacrificed.