University students protest over Babu Owino’s arrest

University of Nairobi students on Thursday engaged anti-terror police in running battles, as they protested the re-arrest of the varsity’s students leader, Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino, who faced an assault charge.

Embakasi East MP, Babu Owino, had just been released on a Ksh500, 000 bond in a subversion case Wednesday, when he was re-arrested and taken to Pangani Police Station, where he claims he was tortured and accused police officers of sending street children to harass him.

Police were, on Thursday morning, forced to hurl teargas at varsity students, who had barricaded roads leading to students’ hostels within the university.

The charged students were chanting pro-Owino slogans, when police set upon them with teargas canisters and water cannons.

The learners were unable to take to the main streets near the university’s main campus, given there was a heavy presence of anti-terror police deployed at strategic exit points at the institution.

By 1:10 pm, relative calm had restored.

Technical University of Kenya

Tension was high at the Technical University of Kenya in Nairobi, where it is reported that students were planning a protest to demand for the release of Owino.

Meanwhile, Owino was charged at the Kibera Law Court on Thursday morning with inflicting grievous harm on a voter, Joshua Otieno Obiende, at Soweto Social Hall in Embakasi East on August 8, 2017.

He has been released on Sh200,000 cash bail or Sh500,000 bond.

(Additional reporting by Diana Ongoro)