Nairobi County Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria has reignited his political war of words with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, accusing the lawmaker of using bloggers, university students and goons to create a perception of political dominance ahead of the 2027 Nairobi gubernatorial race.
Mosiria made the allegations in a strongly worded social media post after sharing what he described as a “challenge photo”, claiming that several bloggers had subsequently flooded the comments section with attacks against him.
According to Mosiria, the coordinated online attacks were evidence of a wider political strategy allegedly designed to manufacture public support for unnamed politicians.
“I posted my challenge photo, like many other people have been doing over the last few days. I have seen some bloggers posting the same message on comment section attacking me, which is a clear indication that some politicians are fake,” Mosiria said.
He alleged that some politicians were hiring bloggers to create the impression that they had widespread support, arguing that social media activity should not be confused with actual voter support on the ground.
Mosiria alleges blogger network
Mosiria went further, claiming that the politician he was referring to had established a large WhatsApp network involving hundreds of bloggers.
He alleged that the network had more than 600 bloggers, with each person allegedly operating multiple social media accounts to amplify particular political narratives.
“He runs a WhatsApp group of more than 600 bloggers, with each blogger operating 50 accounts. Imagine someone’s son being paid to attack someone for just Sh 316,” Mosiria claimed.
He also accused the politician of using university students and commissioned opinion polls to project an image of political strength.
Mosiria did not provide independent evidence in the post to substantiate the specific claims about the alleged payments, blogger network or opinion polls.
Accuses Babu of using goons
The Nairobi official also made a more serious allegation, claiming that the politician had resorted to using goons against political opponents.
“Lastly, he hires goons to attack anyone who comes his way, and previously, he was using the criminal justice system to silence his enemies,” Mosiria alleged.
Although Mosiria did not name Babu Owino directly in the quoted section of the post, his remarks come amid his increasingly public criticism of the Embakasi East MP and Babu’s plans to seek the Nairobi governor’s seat in 2027.
The rivalry between the two has previously spilled onto social media, with Mosiria making accusations against Babu and Babu also publicly criticising political actors he believes are working against him.
In June 2025, Mosiria denied allegations that he had hired goons to vandalise properties in Nairobi’s CBD and instead claimed that Babu was behind propaganda targeting him.
The two have also previously traded accusations over political protests and alleged goon involvement.
Babu’s Nairobi gubernatorial ambitions
The latest confrontation comes as Babu continues to position himself for the 2027 Nairobi gubernatorial contest.
The outspoken MP has repeatedly confirmed that he intends to challenge for the Nairobi governor’s position and has now linked the bid to a longer-term presidential ambition.
In August 2026, Babu said he intended to serve only one term as Nairobi governor before seeking the presidency in 2032.
He explained that his political roadmap had been mapped out years ago, beginning with his election as MP before moving to City Hall.
Babu has also presented his one-term proposal as part of a broader political arrangement in which leaders would serve single terms before supporting a candidate for the presidency in 2032.
His ambitions have already attracted significant political attention, with Lang’ata MP Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, previously arguing that Babu would be a formidable candidate if he secured the ODM ticket.
“Niki-rescue watoto wanateswa”
Mosiria’s latest post became even more emotional as he questioned why he was allegedly being targeted whenever he intervened in situations involving young people.
“Niki-rescue watoto wanateswa anatafuta loophole ya kunifix. Kwani shida ya huyu mtu ni gani? Hajatosheka kutumia watoto wa watu vibaya kama goons?” he wrote.
He insisted that he had evidence to support his allegations and expressed frustration over what he described as the exploitation of young people for political purposes.
“NI UCHUNGU SANA KUTUMIKA VIBAYA NIKO NA EVIDENCE!”
Mosiria further urged his followers to scrutinise accounts attacking him online, suggesting that some of the criticism could be coordinated.
“Mkiona utu tu bloggers kwa comment section deal with them na mkiona watu wananitusi comments section just know who is behind it!” he said.
He also claimed that when certain messages were difficult to counter, the alleged online operatives resorted to posting advertisements for Safaricom bundles to distract from the original content, saying screenshots attached to his post demonstrated what he was talking about.
Growing political battle for City Hall
The latest exchange adds another layer to an increasingly competitive Nairobi political landscape ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Babu has made his gubernatorial ambitions clear, while Mosiria has previously been openly critical of the MP’s suitability to lead the capital. In July 2026, Mosiria described the election of Babu as Nairobi governor as the “worst decision” Nairobians could make.
The political contest is expected to intensify as prospective candidates seek to consolidate support both on the ground and across social media platforms.
For now, however, Mosiria’s latest accusations remain allegations, and Babu Owino would have an opportunity to respond to the claims regarding bloggers, opinion polls and alleged goons.
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