After dominating Nairobi politics for almost one decade since his days as Makadara MP, Governor Mike Sonko's days at the centre of city politics could be coming to an end.
Sonko was arrested last Friday in Voi and was arraigned in court on Monday where he was slapped with 19 charges of corruption and abuse of office.
The flamboyant governor who has since been barred from accessing his office as part of the bail terms that secured his release on Wednesday is now facing uncertainties in bringing his colourful yet controversial political career back on track.
If Sonko's political career crumble, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is poised to be the next man to dominate Nairobi politics.
He may be a toddler in Nairobi's rough politics, but so far, the youthful lawmaker has managed to play his cards well to win himself a huge following especially among the city's youths.
Just like Sonko, one of Owino's biggest political assets is his ability to freely mingle with the downtrodden members of Nairobi's Eastlands area. His generosity has often laid a strong political foundation for him in the slum areas.
As a fierce defender of "comrades", Babu has won the support of university students who view him as their "fighter". This alone is a political windfall.
With good political networks and especially his closeness to ODM party leader Raila Odinga, Babu Owino can easily conquer Nairobi politics and become the new "king". And seemingly with his deep pockets, he is the man to finally end Sonko's decade-long dominance of Nairobi.
Though the talk of dethroning Sonko in Nairobi may be premature, Babu Owino is nonetheless the man to watch in Nairobi in the coming months if not weeks.