Babu Owino demands to Fred Matiang'i and Joseph Boinnet

Babu Owino (Photo:Courtesy)

Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili famously known as Babu Owino has asked Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang’i, and the Inspector General of Police, Joseph Boinnet, to provide answers over alleged assault on University of Nairobi students on Thursday by police riot busters.

“We demand for answers from the CS Interior and Coordination of Government business Mr Matiangi and Inspector General of Police Mr Boinnet on what transpired in our classes and hostels together with an assurance that the officers behind the aforementioned heinous act will be brought to book immediately,” Owino stated.

Owino also ordered the immediate release of students detained at Central Police Station linked to the Thursday protests.

“We also demand for immediate and unconditional release of our brothers and sisters who are being detained at Central Police Station,” he added.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) announced on Friday that it launched investigations into the alleged assault on students.

“IPOA this morning noted from social media reports of an incident in which members of the National Police Service allegedly stormed the University of Nairobi and assaulted students at the institution,” a statement by Dennis Danson Oketch, Head of Communications and Outreach Department, read in part.

IPOA said it dispatched the Rapid Response Unit to probe the said attack on students during the pro-Babu Owino demonstrations.

The authority pointed out it would analyse videos, where General Service Unit (GSU) officers were seen beating students.

The videos of UoN students being beaten and kicked by anti-riot police ignited outrage on Thursday from Kenyans, Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili famously known as Babu Owino and other leaders allied to the National Super Alliance (NASA).
 

Owino's statement:

PRESS STATEMENT ON POLICE BRUTALITY ON THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI AND TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF KENYA COMRADES.

It is so unfortunate that the government unleashed such a mean and ruthless force on innocent comrades who were holding peaceful demonstrations in support of one of their own whom they believed was being treated as a terrorist for having exercised his right to speak his mind as enshrined in the current constitution.

Reports have emerged that some ladies mostly first years were raped , men were sodomized and most were clobbed . The police and rogue GSU officers were also spotted firing live bullets at students.