Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has launched a scathing attack on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja following revelations that goons who disrupted protests in the CBD were paid by a powerful individual.
Speaking on Saturday, June 21, Owino condemned Sakaja for allegedly hiring thugs to silence peaceful protestors, including hawkers and youth demanding justice.
His remarks came after Citizen TV aired shocking interviews with several men who admitted they were recruited and paid as little as Ksh50 to cause chaos during the June 17 demonstrations.
The revelations have ignited a fresh political firestorm in Nairobi, with the governor accused of betraying the people who put him in office.
Confession of Nairobi Goons Sparks Public Outrage and Political Fire
The now viral confessions of goons have intensified calls for accountability and sparked a war of words among leaders.
In the Citizen TV exposé, multiple men admitted they were mobilised in groups, armed with sticks, and promised Ksh2,000 to infiltrate peaceful demonstrations and unleash violence.
Instead, they received between Ksh50 and nothing at all. Some came from slums in Kibera and Korogocho and were allegedly coordinated by known political operatives.
Their role was to disrupt a protest held in honour of Albert Ojwang, a young man who died in police custody. What began as a peaceful march quickly turned violent, with demonstrators being attacked and property destroyed.
In his statement, Babu Owino blamed the county government. “Governor Sakaja, Nairobi did not elect you to unleash goons on its people,” Owino said. “You promised leadership. You spoke of change. But what we’re seeing is betrayal.”
Owino Says Sakaja Is Ruling With Fear
Owino didn’t hold back. He accused Sakaja of abandoning the people who trusted him, especially Nairobi’s jobless youth, who are now being used to terrorise others.
“You were elected to fix broken systems, not to break the people,” Owino said. “You were given power to serve, not to suppress. Every time your administration sends goons to intimidate the people, you remind us: you are not leading. You are ruling through fear.”
The MP added that hawkers are being harassed, youth are being beaten, and dissent is being crushed with violence, not dialogue.
“Voices of dissent are being silenced not with facts, but with fists,” he said. “Is this the ‘new Nairobi’ you promised?”
Owino called for immediate investigations and urged the police to stop protecting the real perpetrators while blaming ordinary citizens for the chaos.
Sakaja Denies Involvement in the Goons’ Mobilisation
Governor Sakaja, under pressure, dismissed the claims as politically motivated and false.
In a statement, he insisted he was not in Nairobi when the alleged mobilisation took place.
“Such blatant lies,” Sakaja said. “On Sunday, I was in Lugari for church and came back to Nairobi on Monday afternoon via Kitale. Ticket below.”
He further distanced himself from known political figures allegedly involved in the goon recruitment.
“I have not seen Gaucho since he attended the Mukuru Housing launch, or Swaleh in many months,” Sakaja added.
Despite his denial, the confessions of the goons and their mention of specific political actors continue to raise questions. Footage showing police standing by as goons attacked protestors has also led many to question the extent of the coordination.
