Babu Owino Declares Himself King of Protests
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has positioned himself at the centre of Kenya’s protest culture, boldly asserting that no demonstration in Nairobi has taken place without his involvement.
Owino describes protests as a vital instrument of political change, both in Kenya and globally. He argues that sustained public pressure has historically forced governments to confront demands for reform, citing Kenya’s transition to multiparty democracy in the early 1990s and the enactment of the 2010 Constitution as milestones achieved through mass mobilisation.
“Of course I am the king of maandamano. There is no protest that has happened here in Nairobi that I have not organised,” he declared, insisting that demonstrations remain an inalienable right of citizens.
The MP links protests to pivotal shifts in Kenya’s governance, from the repeal of Section 2A in 1991, which restored political pluralism, to more recent developments such as opposition figures being appointed to leadership positions. He frames demonstrations as a corrective mechanism, deployed whenever citizens feel the government is steering the country in the wrong direction.
Kenya’s history lends weight to his claims. Public rallies and civil society activism were instrumental in dismantling one-party rule and pushing constitutional reforms. In the present day, protests continue to feature prominently in the political landscape, often organised to highlight grievances over governance, economic hardship, or contested policy decisions.
Yet Owino’s self-styled title as “king of protests” underscores the polarising nature of demonstrations in Kenya. Supporters view them as a legitimate platform for accountability and civic expression, while critics point to the disruption they cause in urban centres, particularly Nairobi, where business, transport, and daily life are frequently interrupted.
Now serving his second term in Parliament, Owino has become a familiar figure in protest movements, regularly mobilising supporters and positioning himself as a defender of public dissent.
