Babu Owino denies assault charges, freed on bond

Controversial Embakasi East legislator Babu Owino and his bodyguard Fanuel Owino were on Monday arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts and charged with assault, causing bodily harm and using abusive language.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, the two pleaded not guilty and were freed on a personal bond of Ksh.20,000 each.

It is alleged that the two assaulted one David Gichagu Wagana, a parking attendant at Fortis Towers compound in Westlands area in Nairobi on January 11, 2018.

Defense advocates led by Siaya Senator James Orengo and Aarun Ndubi questioned the motive behind the arrest of the Member of Parliament.

Parklands Police Station DCIO, Isaac Tenai was thus forced to take to the witness stand to explain why the accused person was detained past the legally allowed 24-hour period and denied release on police bail in advance.

The DCIO told the court that they were investigating Owino’s post on social media where he had alleged that he was arrested for trying to overthrow the government.

Mr. Tenai further told the court that it was a weekend and courts were not sitting hence they could not have arraigned Owino in court.

The case will be mentioned on the 5th February 2018.

Babu Owino was released from police custody after Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja made an undertaking of Ksh.104,000 and a personal surety to produce him in court on Monday.

He was arrested on Friday afternoon following accusations of assaulting a parking attendant at an entertainment joint in Westlands, Nairobi on January 11.

He spent Friday and Saturday night in police cells after efforts by opposition leaders and University of Nairobi students to secure his freedom failed.

“No political leader should be arrested unlawfully because of his political party be it NASA or Jubilee,” said Sakaja of Owino’s arrest.

Babu Owino had previously rubbished the claims that he was behind the security guard’s assault, claiming he was in Mombasa at the time of the incident.

He blamed his woes on the government, whom he claimed had arrested him with “harbouring intention to overthrow the government” and assault.