Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has broken his silence following a tense encounter with Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai at Cedars Lebanese Restaurant in Kilimani, calling it “a direct attack on my person and a grave threat to my life.”
In a detailed Facebook post, Owino described the incident, which he said occurred on the afternoon of January 3, while he was attending a meeting with a senior clergyman friend.
“Having released my security detail for the Christmas holidays, I drove myself to the venue and arrived at approximately 3:40 p.m. We held our discussions for about twenty minutes, after which I stood up to leave,” he wrote.
Owino said that as he was leaving, he noticed Alai and a group of people he knew at a nearby table.
“Out of courtesy, I approached the table and greeted those present, including Hon. Robert Alai. Without provocation, he accused me of being behind alleged social media attacks on his wife,” he said. He denied the accusations, emphasising that he had no personal knowledge of Alai’s wife and had never targeted her.
The MP alleged Alai then became aggressive, pushing him and striking him with a pistol, before allegedly pouring water on his face, causing a scene that drew other patrons’ attention.
“I stood my ground and urged him to calm down, asking him to explain what wrong I had committed to warrant such a violent reaction,” Owino wrote.
“Wishing to avoid any physical confrontation, I immediately left the premises and proceeded to Kilimani Police Station, where I reported the matter,” he said.
The confrontation comes after a series of high-profile disputes involving both politicians.
A source who was present at Cedars Lebanese Restaurant told The Sunday Standard that Alai approached Owino unprovoked, and a verbal argument quickly escalated.
According to the source, Alai allegedly drew a pistol, which failed to discharge, before being disarmed by Mohamed Amin Shurie, a senior officer at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who was present at the eatery.
Both men left the restaurant shortly after the altercation.
Owino’s history with firearms-related incidents has also attracted public attention.
In January 2020, he was charged with the attempted murder of DJ Felix Orinda, popularly known as DJ Evolve, after the DJ was shot at B-Club in Kilimani.
DJ Evolve survived but suffered life-altering spinal injuries.
The case has faced multiple delays, and in a controversial turn, DJ Evolve’s family later sought to withdraw the attempted murder charges.
Efforts to reach Alai for comment have been unsuccessful, and the MCA has yet to make any formal statement on the same.