Miguna Miguna attacks Babu Owino, says he belongs in jail for murder, drug

Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has received the first political bombshell of 2026 after outspoken lawyer Miguna Miguna launched a blistering attack on his character and leadership credentials, just as the MP positions himself for the Nairobi governor’s race.

In a sharply worded post on X, Miguna warned Nairobians against backing Owino, accusing him of a long history of criminal conduct and moral unfitness for high office.

“Use the correct words, Githeri Media. Babu Patel has been involved in perennial criminal escapades, mass murder and drug peddling.

If Kenya were a society governed by the rule of law, he and others involved in criminal syndicates should spend 25 years in jail,” Miguna wrote.

The scathing remarks came hot on the heels of renewed public focus on Owino’s lengthy history with the criminal justice system, following a detailed media account outlining his past court battles.

Over the years, Owino has been charged with serious offences, including attempted murder, misuse of a firearm, incitement to violence and subversion. However, all the cases ultimately collapsed, allowing him to walk free.

The most high-profile case stemmed from the 2020 shooting of DJ Evolve at a Nairobi nightclub. Prosecutors later dropped the attempted murder charge in favour of a lesser firearm offence, citing reconciliation and a plea agreement, before the court eventually acquitted Owino over what it termed weak investigations.

Other cases linked to inflammatory political remarks at public rallies were similarly dismissed, with courts faulting prosecutors or citing constitutional grounds after the offence of subversion was nullified.

While Owino has since reinvented himself, including being admitted to the Bar and participating in high-profile protest defence cases, Miguna’s intervention threatens to reopen uncomfortable questions about his past.

As the Nairobi governor contest begins to take shape, the attack is likely to complicate Owino’s bid, forcing voters to weigh legal technicalities against lingering questions of character and public trust.