Babu Owino Narrates His Harrowing Experience While in Police Cells

Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili, alias Babu Owino has narrated his 'traumatizing' experience in the police cell following his double arrests last week.

The youthful MP was arrested on Monday last week after allegedly insulting President Uhuru Kenyatta and was charged with subversion and making derogatory remarks against the President.

While appearing before Kibera Court on Thursday following his re-arrest, Babu told the judge that he was tortured in the cells and accused police of sending street children to harass him.

In a interview with Nairobi News on Tuesday, the former Students Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) said that officers sent Chokoraas to harass him.

He further alleged that water was poured all over the cell room where he was held, so he could not sit im the entire night.

“They brought 20 underage chokoraas in my cell. They were about 13 and 14 years-old. They told me that the police had transferred them from central police station to intimidate me,” Babu said.

He said that after the release, he re-united with the street boys, who disclosed to him that police instructed them to harass him.

“The chokoraas told me, “these people want to finish you” but we have seen that you have been fighting for us and we will not harm you,”

He insisted that he did not insult the President or his mother. “Why would I even abuse someone like Mama Ngina?” Babu asked

“What I said is that those dictators were the worst and yet they were removed by the people. I wanted to ask the president “whom do you think you are?”

He further adds that he will not relent in fighting for a better Kenya despite the unlawful arrests meant to intimidate and silence him.

“They can arrest my body but they cannot arrest my mind. I am a free-thinker. I started sleeping in police cells as a primary school child when my mother used to sell chang’aa,” he says.

“During my reign as SONU chairman, I was fighting for the nation. I inhaled teargas so that parents in this country would not pay more for school fees. Let people not misconstrue that university politics is immature,” he says.

He expressed regret over the protests in parts of Kiambu on Monday, calling for his immediate arrest.

“If Kiambu people can demonstrate against me yet cannot demonstrate against people who have stolen from them, then it is a big shame,” says.