Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has publicly criticized the current internal wrangles within the ODM party, particularly targeting Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, whom he blames as part of the challenge to achieve unity within the party.
Giving a speech during ODM’s 20th anniversary rally held at the Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa on Saturday, November 15, 2025, Joho reaffirmed his loyalty to the party, while firing at the current power wrangles within the party. At some point, he got so angry that he seized the microphone, declaring that ODM’s future was uncertain.
Overcome by a charged sense of urgency and defiance, Joho alluded to the late American popular rapper “Tupac Shakur” to directly attack Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, declaring that the vocal MP could be likened to the late rapper for his bold and rugged stance.
“I defended my party; with blood, with strength, by all means and in every way. Na kama, Noma Noma! It must be known here today: ODM is what it is because some of us sacrificed ourselves completely. It is important that we defend the party. Don’t think of removing us, some of us have ‘hot blood’. You come for us, we come for you. I did not sacrifice my life for nothing.” Joho said.
According to political commentator Dr Agenes Odhiambo, Joho’s reference to ‘Tupac’ is not a mere personal attack, but a broader statement about the direction of the ODM party.
Power Wrangles
Joho’s hard-hitting remarks come after Babu Owino’s recent degrading comments, where he publicly demeaned Joho’s presidential aspirations, suggesting that he needed extra political patronage.
Barely a month after his death, Raila Odinga’s absence from the political scene is already being felt. Consequently, the bare-knuckled public criticism between Joho and Owino could be a part of a narrative of factionalism within the party.
As the country gears towards the 2027 general elections, the risks of fragmentation within the party seem large. With such future uncertainty, Joho’s charged speech could therefore be a calculated ploy to cement his political influence.
