Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has appointed former Makueni Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana as the patron of The Mwananchi Party as political activity gathers pace ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Owino announced the appointment on Friday, November 6, through a post on his X account, describing Kibwana as a distinguished law professor and a defender of human rights.
He also praised Kibwana’s record in public service, pointing to his time as Makueni Governor, where he was ranked among the country’s best-performing county chiefs.
“This is an honour for the Mwananchi Party to have him as our PATRON,” Owino stated.
Kibwana has held office as the first governor of Makueni from 2013 to 2022. He had a career in law, teaching, and human rights activism prior to his participation in county politics.
This comes as The Mwananchi Party looks to consolidate its footing in order to become a political choice before the 2027 elections. Some leaders within the movement called Linda Mwananchi have been deliberating which party will be used in the race for power.
The Muungano Party used to be its name but the name was recently changed to The Mwananchi Party on September 10, 2026.
Owino has once said that he started looking into forming a political party in February 2025 when he realized that the ODM would not back his candidature for the post of Nairobi governor.
It took him three attempts in trying to get a political party until 2026.
