Babu Owino Claims Plot To Re-Arrest Him

Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino claimed on Friday, July 21 that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) plan on arresting him again just moments after he was released on a Ksh100,000 bail and an alternative of a Ksh200,000 bond.

In a video seen by Viral Tea, the vocal lawmaker who spoke at the Milimani Law Courts claimed that the sleuths from DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road as well as those in Nairobi are lying in wait in court waiting to pounce on him once his bail is posted.

He dared Nairobi Regional Police Commander, Adamson Bungei to proceed with ordering authorities to proceed with seizing the MP but expressed confidence in being triumphant in the end.

Babu Owino at Milimani Law Courts on July 20, 2023. /VIRALTEAKE

"We are just done with our court process and I've been released on cash bail and as we speak, CID from DCI headquarters and Nairobi area are all here waiting to rearrest me if I leave the police cells.

"So anytime from now, they are planning to arrest me but we shall continue fighting. Bungei we know your plans just proceed with them," Babu stated in the video.

Babu is currently being held at the Milimani law courts cells awaiting to have his bail posted. His lawyers, however, expressed fears of a plan to arrest him due to the heavy police presence at Milimani.

"How do you bring police officers in full gear to remove everybody from the court? We should be told if the courts are out of bounds for members of the public," Ndegwa Njiru asked.

"Let the court be out of bounds for the police. We are not here to protest."

Njiru further noted that Babu's other lawyer, Duncan Okatch, had witnessed the MP being whisked away by police.

Babu Owino's Personal Assistant further claimed that he was chased away from the registry where they had gone to process his release on bail.

After his release by the court, Babu was required to proceed to the judiciary registry where he was to pay the amount and later be released from police custody.

Self-styled ghetto president Calvince "Gaucho" Okoth and five others were also released on bail alongside Babu.

Babu was accused of contravening the Public Order Act (Cap. 56) and the Penal Code (Cap. 63), which defines an unlawful assembly as any assembly of three or more persons who, with intent to carry out any common purpose, tumultuously assemble together in such a manner as to cause fear or alarm to the public or to any person in the neighbourhood.

An unlawful assembly can be prevented by the police if they have reasonable grounds to believe that it will lead to a breach of the peace. The police may also disperse an unlawful assembly by using force if necessary.

Anyone who takes part in an unlawful assembly is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of up to Ksh100,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

The Penal Code defines subversion as the act of inciting, attempting to incite, or conspiring to incite a person to violence against the person or property of the President, the Government of Kenya, or a public officer.

There was also drama outside the Milimani Law Courts as police officers were captured roughing up journalists who had gone to cover Babu Owino's hearing.

Below is the video:

Toka hapa, media gani?- A police officer is heard telling a journalist as police rough up journalists covering Babu Owino’s bail ruling at Milimani Law Courts#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/CElfwe7lKM — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) July 21, 2023