‘BABU OWINO BEGGED ME FOR 3 HOURS’ MOSIRIA REVISITS SONU ELECTION DEAL

Former University of Nairobi student leader and aspirant for the Student Organization of Nairobi University (SONU), Geoffrey Mosiria, has recalled the 2016 SONU election negotiations, alleging that Embakasi East Member of Parliament, Babu Owino, spent nearly three hours persuading him to withdraw his candidacy.

In a recent statement, Mosiria described a meeting at the popular student venue, Tulips, where he claims Babu appealed to him to step aside so that he could run for the SONU chairperson position one final time. “Babu Owino has never helped me with anything. I am the one who did. He bagged me to step down for him,” Mosiria stated. 

“He told me his mother was selling changaa, and he believed that if he could become SONU chair and defend it one last time, he could later join politics and win. I’m the person he should appreciate. We even had a handshake and took a photo. He begged me at Tulips for almost three hours to step down and let him vie for the last time.”

Mosiria’s recollection revisits the 2016 SONU elections, which served as a launchpad for Owino’s entry into national politics. Owino won the chairmanship that year and later successfully vied for the Embakasi East parliamentary seat in 2017.

Mosiria also disclosed about their relationship today. He noted that their paths have crossed in recent times, including at a SONU retreat function. “When we last interacted at a function for a SONU retreat, we engaged,” he said. “We are not enemies. There are things I agree with him on, and others we differ.”