Hon Babu Owino was forced to hide in Parliament after a team of more than 20 police officers camped outside Bunge waiting to arrest him.
Hon Owino told supporters on Wednesday that he had received reports that Flying Squad officers were after him for remarks he issued during Nasa’s Baba Dogo rally on Sunday.
“Mimi niko hapa Bunge nimejifungia. Hawa askari wako hapa nje na Subaru tatu wangoja nitoke wanishike lakini sioni nikitoka. Kama [mabo yataharibika], nitalala hapa tu,” he said
Loosely translates to: “I have locked myself up at Parliament buildings. Officers are waiting outside in six Subarus. They want to arrest me but I don’t think I will get out. If matters worsen, I will spend the night here.”
The vocal MP added that Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati and Siaya senator James Orengo had also informed that police were looking for them over their addresses at the gathering.
“We were told they were given orders to break into our homes,” he said. “Tell Kenyans of goodwill to bring me a blanket and a mattress so that I can have a place to lay my head. I will appreciate this.”
Babu said continued threats to apprehend Nasa leaders were aimed at intimidating them. But he noted he will not bow to intimidation by an “illegitimate” government no matter how many times he is arrested.
“Whatever they are doing is not adding value to the country. This is total witch-hunt. An abuse is not a crime. That’s a civil matter. If Interior CS Fred Matiang’i feels I abused him let him proceed to a civil court instead of using police to round us up.”
Parliament is a priviledged area and one cannot be arrested within Parliament buildings/land.
