Babu Owino arrested for dog remarks as Uhuru supporters block roads

Residents block a section of Kiambu Road. They were protesting against Emabakasi East MP Babu Owino for allegedly insulting President Uhuru Kenyatta. [Kamau Maichuhie, Standard]

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino was arrested on Monday over alleged abusive remarks on President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Police are investigating claims Owino engaged in hate speech and uttered abusive words in Kawangware when he addressed an Opposition rally on Sunday. He is alleged to have used abusive words on an unnamed person.

Officers at the DCI headquarters were ordered to study a clip that captured the said utterances for possible action. It was then that the team tracked him to Kilimani and arrested him. He was taken to DCI headquarters for grilling.

His colleagues said he informed them through a WhatsApp message he had been arrested and was headed for DCI headquarters. Witnesses said police had been tracking him for up to four hours before they caught up with him.

The new lawmaker, however, denied the making any abusive statement in reference to President Kenyatta.

“I will not apologise to anyone because I called nobody’s name during my yesterday’s address.”

Protests

“We have so many presidents in Kenya, from the president of Sonu to all presidents of students union in Kenya, president of the Supreme Court, president of youth senate and many more. However I will stick to objective politics and will never abuse anybody,” he said in a Facebook post.

Later in the day, groups believed to be supporters of President Kenyatta staged protests along Thika Road at Githurai, Juja Town, Thika Town, Githunguri, Limuru, Ruiru and Gatundu and Kiambu town calling for the arrest of Owino. The groups blocked the roads for hours as police watched from a distance inconveniencing many motorists and pedestrians. They used twigs and stones to block the roads while some of the protesters lit bonfires. Police later dispersed them.

Nairobi County Woman Representative Esther Passaris condemned the utterances.

Passaris said despite their political differences with the Jubilee Party members, some standards had to be maintained.

“I would like to condemn in the strongest terms possible utterances made by my fellow MP Babu Owino during our campaign rally the other day. No matter how big our differences or how low we think of each other, there is a line that should not be crossed,” she said.

Apologies

The woman representative apologised to Uhuru’s family for what she termed as disrespect meted on them.

“As a mother, I sincerely apologise to the former first lady, Mama Ngina Kenyatta and her family over the insult and disrespect meted on her,” she added.