Babu Owino denies attacking ANC aspirant on polling day

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino appears before a Kibera court on September 28, 2017. He denied assaulting Mr Joshua Otiende. PHOTO | BENSON MATHEKA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

What you need to know:

  • He is, according to a police sources, facing a separate count of preventing the voter from casting his ballot, contrary to Elections Act.

  • The offences were allegedly committed at Soweto Social Hall polling station on August 8.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who was re-arrested moments after his release from custody on Wednesday, has been charged afresh.

Mr Owino, who was first arrested on Monday for allegedly hurling insults at President Kenyatta, was arraigned in a Kibera court on Thursday.

ATTACK

He was accused of attacking and causing grievous harm to Mr Joshua Otiende, a former Embakasi East parliamentary aspirant on Amani National Congress.

He faced a separate count of preventing the voter from casting his ballot contrary to Elections Act.

The offences were allegedly committed at Soweto Social Hall polling station on August 8, the day Kenya held it General Election.

Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris pleads with anti-riot police not to teargas Mr Owino's supporters. PHOTO | BENSON MATHEKA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

Mr Owino denied both charges and applied to be freed on bail, a request the prosecution opposed.

The magistrate said she would rule on the application at 4pm.

The lawmaker almost shed tears as she pleaded with the magistrate to release him on bond, claiming he was tortured at Pangani Polices Station cells.

STREET CHILDREN

He said police jammed the cells with street children to harassed him through the night.

The MP was presented in court in morning but the prosecutor asked the court to defer his plea to 11am.

She said she had instructions that her senior would come to prosecute the case.

Supporters of Embakasi East MP Babu Owino protest outside Kibera Law Courts on September 28, 2017. PHOTO | BENSON MATHEKA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

Lawyers James Orengo, Otiende Amollo and Nelson Havi represented Mr Owino.

Police had beefed up security around the court premises after Mr Owino’s supporters staged demos denouncing his arrest and prosecution.

They chanted “tunataka Babu, hatuogopi tear gas (we want Babu, we don’t fear tear gas)” as police watched.

Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris engaged the anti-riot police, pleading with them not to teargas the protesters.