Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna has come to the defence of Embakasi East MP Babu Owino after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni called him out for supporting his opponents.
Sifuna said Museveni should have used diplomatic channels to raise any complaints he could be having on the conduct of Babu.
“Whatever beef Museveni has with Babu Owino, I strongly object to the manner of his attack on a young Kenyan leader on our soil,” he said on X.
Sifuna further took issue with Museveni raising the matter at the launch of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairperson seat.
“Kenya is a country ruled by law and if there is any objectionable conduct on the part of Babu, there are diplomatic channels to convey that to Kenyan Authorities and let the law take its cause. But to use a presidential podium to make such grave accusations against a Kenyan is a NO!,” he said.
Museveni, while making his remarks at the event, said that some individuals in Raila’s camp did not know what they were doing.
He stated that in the intelligence reports he receives, Babu's name always appears.
He said his appearance on the reports was over his support for anti-NRM movements.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) is Uganda’s ruling party, led by Museveni himself.
“There are some individuals in Raila's group who think I don’t know what they are doing. I am a consumer of intelligence services. I always see intelligence service reports. There's a character called Babu. I always see Babu dealing with anti-NRM groups in Uganda,” the Ugandan president said.
He went on to say that despite knowing this, he has never accused Babu of it, until today.
“I have never accused him, but now I am accusing him.”
Babu has been a vocal supporter of Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
Babu has publicly declared his support for his movement and ideologies.
