Lawyer Miguna Miguna has expressed dissatisfaction with the courts for acquitting Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino.
In a long post on Tuesday evening, Miguna, who has always been championing for Owino’s sentencing, faulted the judiciary and police.
“Kenya doesn’t have competent police investigators, a functioning forensic police department, ethical prosecutors and magistrates,” he opined.
DJ Evolve shooting
Babu Owino was charged in 2020 with attempted murder and bad behaviour while in possession of a firearm.
This followed alleged shooting of DJ Evolve (real name Felix Orinda) on January 17 at B-Club in Kilimani.
In December 2021, Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi acquitted Owino of attempted murder charges.
Ochoi ordered the legislator to cater for medical expenses. This left Owino with charges of ‘disorderly behaviour while carrying a firearm’.
“As a condition of withdrawal, the MP will purchase an apartment for the victim, which will resolve the issue of house rent, and continue paying the hospital bills of the victim who comes from a humble background,” Magistrate Ochoi ruled.
In June this year, Babu Owino revealed he had spent KSh58 million on Evolve’s medical bills and upkeep.
Surprising Twist
A week later, the case took a surprising turn after DJ Evolve told the court that he did not see Babu Owino shoot him.
Evolve testified virtually from his bed, saying he did not remember what happened to him or how he ended up in an ambulance.
The entertainer went on to claim that he did not know which gun the bullet came from.
An irked Miguna countered this argument, saying DNA on the gun and crime scene could easily link the gun to a shooter. This is usually the case with murder victims, he argued.
“All murder victims aren’t alive to testify against their murderers. But that hasn’t prevented criminals from getting convicted.”
Human Rights Activists
Furthermore, the lawyer castigated the judiciary for ‘ignoring’ the viral video which depicted the 2020 shooting incident, as well as Owino’s ‘generous’ hand towards DJ Evolve and his family over the past three years, which could have been used as circumstantial evidence to convict Owino.
“It’s a deliberate and planned miscarriage of justice!” Miguna chided.
Miguna did not stop at Babu Owino, he went on to criticise human rights activists for failing to condemn the courts in the matter.
“But Amnesty International and other human rights defenders have not condemned this horrendous injustice! It’s a sad day for Kenya. Impunity has won today!”
