Embakasi East MP Babu Owino will be charged with attempted murder, the Director of Criminal Investigations’ (DCI) George Kinoti has said.
This comes after the legislator allegedly shot and injured a DJ at a popular night club in Kilimani, Nairobi in the early hours of Friday morning.
DCI says he will be marched to court after processing.
“We will charge him with attempted murder. It is apparent that he wanted to kill the man,” Mr Kinoti said.
Police on Friday morning arrested the controversial Orange Democratic Movement lawmaker over the 4 a.m. shooting incident at B Club on Galana Road.
A police report seen by the Nation states that the MP drew his pistol and opened fire on the DJ, identified as Felix Orinda, after a heated exchange.
“He drew his pistol and shot the DJ in the neck. The victim was rushed to Nairobi Hospital in serious condition by the management of the club,” the report reads in part.
Detectives say they rushed to the scene but were yet to find the firearm. “Officers are currently at the scene searching for the cartridge,” the report says.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed Mr Owino’s arrest. “The MP is in lawful custody as further investigations continue,” DCI said in a Twitter post.
Mr Owino was driven to Kilimani Police Station, where he was being held in custody by the time of going to press.
LIFE OF CONTROVERSY
The young, controversial legislator is not new to drama, having courted it since he was a student. Ever since his days as a student leader at the University of Nairobi, Mr Owino has been in the police’s wrong book.
In early 2018, Babu was arrested by flying squad officers outside Parliament buildings for allegedly assaulting a parking attendant in Westlands.
Just last week, the MP was involved in a Twitter war with Woman Rep Esther Passaris after he threatened to shave Kandara MP Alice Wahome for disrespecting President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
A few days later, Mr Owino posted on his social media pages that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will be president “by ballot or bullet”.
He had also previously been summoned over allegations that he threatened IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati with removal from office if ODM lost the Kibra Constituency by-election.
In October last year, Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai launched investigations into the MP’s ethnically charged remarks. Earlier in October 2017, he engaged in a fist fight with Starehe counterpart Charles Njagua at Parliament buildings.
The two later apologised and were allowed back into the chambers.
