From Courtroom to Compassion: Babu Owino Marks Admission to Bar by Freeing 200 Petty Offenders

From Courtroom to Compassion: Babu Owino Marks Admission to Bar by Freeing 200 Petty Offenders

By MAXIMILLA WAFULA & PATRICK KIMANZI | the County Diary News

Nairobi, Kenya — On the very day he was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court, Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino made a bold statement—not in court, but in action. Among the 609 lawyers officially welcomed to the Bar on Friday by Chief Justice Martha Koome, Babu Owino chose to commemorate this milestone by championing justice for the underprivileged.

Shortly after the formal event, he made his way to Nairobi West Prison, where he facilitated the release of close to 40 inmates convicted for petty offences—people whose only crime, in many cases, was poverty. These individuals had been handed fines they simply couldn’t afford. Some had served weeks and others months behind bars, not due to violent crimes but for minor infractions like hawking, gambling, or being unable to pay bail.

“In honor of my admission, I decided not to celebrate with champagne, but with compassion,” Babu Owino told journalists outside the prison gates. “It is my responsibility as a leader and as an advocate to fight for the downtrodden.”

The MP fully paid the fines and bail amounts—ranging from KSh 2,000 to 30,000—allowing the inmates to walk free. Many of them expressed deep gratitude, citing a renewed hope in their return to society.

Marlon Muraguri Wanjiku, who had been behind bars for two weeks due to a KSh 5,000 fine for gambling, tearfully thanked the MP. “We thank God and Babu Owino for remembering us. I’m going back to my family and I’m hopeful about the future,” he said.

The initiative was not a solo act. Babu credited Eve Nkirote of Hope Beyond Bars, a grassroots organization advocating for prisoner rights and rehabilitation. “Eve has worked tirelessly to ensure inmates are treated with dignity and helped to reintegrate into society,” Babu noted.

Beyond Nairobi West, similar efforts are being made in other correctional facilities, with plans to release a total of 200 inmates. The MP revealed that this is just the beginning of a nationwide program targeting those jailed for petty offences. His vision includes not only freeing such inmates but also equipping them with education, vocational training, and emotional support.

Quoting the Bible, Babu Owino added a powerful reminder: “A little sleep, a little slumbers, a little folding of the arms, and poverty will come like an armed robber,” he said, urging the freed individuals to rebuild their lives through hard work and integrity.

Chief Justice Koome, who presided over the bar admission earlier in the day, had urged the new lawyers to be courageous, uphold integrity, and serve the people—values Babu Owino put into immediate action.

As a former victim of systemic poverty and injustice, Babu Owino’s gesture is a testament to the kind of leadership that not only speaks, but acts. And for 200 former inmates and their families, justice now feels a little less out of reach.