Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has stated that his brother-in-law was released early Friday morning and dropped off in Machakos, hours after the legislator claimed the man had gone missing.
In a statement shared on his social media platforms, Owino alleged that his relative was freed at around 4 am after allegedly being held overnight.
“My brother-in-law was released at 4 am and dropped off in Machakos,” the MP claimed, adding that the incident would not intimidate him or deter his political activities.
Earlier, Owino had posted a video claiming that his brother-in-law had called him to report that he had been arrested.
He further alleged that the relative had been facing intimidation before the incident.
Despite the episode, Owino said he would proceed with a planned political rally in Kakamega.
“The rally that is being organised in Kakamega, we will be there. You can’t stop this rally,” he said, framing the incident as part of broader attempts at intimidation.
The planned rally is expected to be attended by several opposition figures, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who dismissed claims that organisers had failed to notify police about the gathering.
Sifuna said his faction had formally informed security agencies of the upcoming Kakamega rally, insisting that due process had been followed.
Speaking earlier, Sifuna said he had personally shared a notification letter addressed to the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) in Kakamega and circulated the communication in the Senate’s official WhatsApp group.
His comments followed Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s statement in Nakuru on Wednesday, in which he claimed police had not been briefed about a political rally in Kitengela, where violence broke out as officers attempted to disperse crowds.
The Kitengela rally was organised by a rival ODM faction led by Sifuna and attended by several leaders, including Owino, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi. Chaos erupted after police lobbed teargas canisters and fired shots to disperse the crowd.
Following the rally, Sifuna confirmed that one person had been fatally shot, blaming police action for the death.
