“Babu Owino was charged with attempted murder to which he pleaded not guilty,” says an article shared on Facebook.
It claims that a Kenyan member of parliament was taken to court, charged with attempted murder and “jailed for seven more days pending a bail ruling”.
The article has been flagged as potentially false by Facebook. We checked.
Paul Ongili, popularly known as Babu Owino, the MP for the Embakasi East constituency in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, was arrested on 17 January 2020 after a “shooting incident”, according to the directorate of criminal investigations, or DCI.
He is alleged to have shot a man in a nightclub. On 20 January, the DCI tweeted that the lawmaker had been charged in court and was being kept in prison.
The DCI said: “Hon. Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino, Member of Parliament for Embakasi East was today arraigned at Milimani law courts following a shooting incident that took place at B Club along Galana Road within Kilimani.”
The directorate said Owino was “charged with two counts, attempted murder” and for “behaving in a disorderly manner while carrying a firearm”.
The last DCI tweet about Owino said that he had pleaded not guilty to both counts, but was “remanded in police custody” and would appear in court again on 27 January.
Other news articles have also reported the same details.
In a video of the proceedings the magistrate stressed that Owino would be kept in custody for seven days. Then a probation report would determine whether the MP would be granted bail.
Kenyan member of parliament Babu Owino was charged with attempted murder, and jailed while he waited for a verdict on his bail application. – Grace Gichuhi
It claims that a Kenyan member of parliament was taken to court, charged with attempted murder and “jailed for seven more days pending a bail ruling”.
The article has been flagged as potentially false by Facebook. We checked.
‘Attempted murder’
Paul Ongili, popularly known as Babu Owino, the MP for the Embakasi East constituency in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, was arrested on 17 January 2020 after a “shooting incident”, according to the directorate of criminal investigations, or DCI.
He is alleged to have shot a man in a nightclub. On 20 January, the DCI tweeted that the lawmaker had been charged in court and was being kept in prison.
The DCI said: “Hon. Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino, Member of Parliament for Embakasi East was today arraigned at Milimani law courts following a shooting incident that took place at B Club along Galana Road within Kilimani.”
The directorate said Owino was “charged with two counts, attempted murder” and for “behaving in a disorderly manner while carrying a firearm”.
The last DCI tweet about Owino said that he had pleaded not guilty to both counts, but was “remanded in police custody” and would appear in court again on 27 January.
MP in custody
Other news articles have also reported the same details.
In a video of the proceedings the magistrate stressed that Owino would be kept in custody for seven days. Then a probation report would determine whether the MP would be granted bail.
Kenyan member of parliament Babu Owino was charged with attempted murder, and jailed while he waited for a verdict on his bail application. – Grace Gichuhi
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