In the volatile vacuum left by the departure of Raila Odinga, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino finds himself fighting a war on two fronts: one for the political throne of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and a more personal battle to salvage his standing with the family that built it.

On Monday, the lawmaker moved swiftly to extinguish a firestorm threatening to sever his ties with the Odinga dynasty. Facing accusations that he sponsored a series of vitriolic online attacks against Mama Ida Odinga by controversial blogger Maverick Aoko, Owino issued a categorical denial. His message was less a political press release and more a plea for familial legitimacy: “How can I insult the woman who feeds me?”

The 'Proxy' Allegations

The controversy erupts at a time when the ODM party is fracturing along generational lines. Critics have pointed to the scathing posts by Aoko—a self-declared “fierce supporter” of Owino—as a proxy war designed to undermine the Odinga family’s grip on the party. The blogger’s attacks on Mama Ida, coming just two months after the former Prime Minister’s death, violated deep-seated cultural red lines regarding respect for widows and matriarchs.

Owino, however, insisted his relationship with the blogger does not equate to command and control.

• The Denial: “Maverick Aoko is an independent mind. I do not know her sources, and I have never told her to attack the Odinga family,” Owino stated.
• The Defense: He invoked his personal history with the family, noting, “Winnie is my friend, Junior is my friend. Mama Ida loves me like her own son. She welcomes me home and gives me food. I can never insult such a mum.”

Succession Politics: The Elephant in the Room

While the MP’s reverence for Mama Ida appears genuine, it clashes with his ruthless political ambition. Since the National Governing Council (NGC) confirmed Oburu Odinga as the new Party Leader in November, Owino has been the face of open defiance. His rhetorical question to party delegates—“Did you look at Babu and see nothing?”—became an instant rallying cry for a restless youth base tired of the “old guard.”

Analysts suggest the friction with Mama Ida is a symptom of this broader power struggle. By positioning himself as the inevitable heir to Raila’s populist energy, Owino threatens the carefully managed transition the family envisions around Oburu.

The Cultural Stakes

For the average Kenyan observer, this is more than palace intrigue; it is a test of the Luo community’s intricate balance between political meritocracy and cultural deference. In Luo custom, insulting a mother figure—especially the widow of a Ker (leader)—is a curse that can sink a political career, regardless of one's popularity.

Owino seems acutely aware of this. His recent visit to Opoda Farm in Bondo, where he gifted Mama Ida a Bible and bulls, was a calculated move to demonstrate that while he may challenge the party’s hierarchy, he still bends the knee to its matriarch.

As the dust settles on this latest flare-up, the question remains: Can Babu Owino successfully divorce his political rebellion from his personal relationships? For now, he is asking the public to believe that his ambition has limits—and that the sanctity of Mama Ida’s kitchen is one of them.