A striking scene unfolded in Kenya's National Assembly this Tuesday, captivating the nation and igniting a spirited debate on parliamentary decorum and the complex interplay of professional identities. Embakasi East Member of Parliament, Babu Owino, found himself at the center of this storm when he was dramatically ejected from the chamber by Speaker Moses Wetangula for arriving dressed in an advocate’s gown and collar – attire typically reserved for practicing lawyers in a courtroom, not legislators within the hallowed halls of parliament.
The incident was triggered when Mathare North MP Anthony Oluoch raised a point of order, asserting that the advocate’s collar was fundamentally inappropriate for a legislator and belonged exclusively to courtroom proceedings. Speaker Wetangula swiftly concurred, ruling that Owino's attire contravened the standing orders governing parliamentary dress codes. He then directed the lawmaker to vacate the chamber and return appropriately dressed, leading to Owino's public removal.
MP Owino's unconventional choice of attire stemmed directly from his activities earlier that morning at the Milimani Law Courts. He had appeared as counsel for the missing blogger, Ndiang’ui Kinyagia, whose disappearance on June 21, 2025, has sent ripples of concern across the country and sparked a High Court petition alleging unlawful detention by security agencies.
Owino joined a formidable team of lawyers from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), all pressing for the production of their client. Kinyagia's family and legal team have vehemently alleged that he was taken by plainclothes officers and, despite being missing for over a week, had yet to be presented before any court.
In his submissions before Justice Chacha Mwita, Owino passionately highlighted crucial evidence: an inventory taken during the raid on Kinyagia’s apartment confirmed that police had seized electronic devices, effectively placing him in custody. Yet, astonishingly, no charge had been filed, nor had Kinyagia been brought before a court, raising serious questions about due process and human rights.
The court proceedings yielded a significant development. Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Director Mohamed Amin acknowledged that the agency had no record of detaining Kinyagia. This admission prompted Justice Mwita to issue a forceful directive: the Inspector General of Police and the DCI Director were ordered to produce Ndiang'ui Kinyagia by July 3, 2025, or personally appear in court to explain his continued absence.
Babu Owino's appearance in court marked a very recent milestone in his multifaceted career. It has been only weeks since he was formally admitted to the Roll of Advocates on May 23, 2025. This prestigious ceremony, where he stood before Chief Justice Martha Koome at the Supreme Court as one of 609 new advocates, marked the culmination of years of dedicated legal training.
His academic journey is impressive, beginning with a First Class Honours degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi in 2012, followed by a law degree, and finally, the rigorous course at the Kenya School of Law, which qualified him as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
