Embakasi East Member of Parliament Paul Ongili, popularly known as Babu Owino, has opened up on the difficult life experiences that forced him to study law despite having other degrees.
Speaking after becoming an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya on May 23, 2025, Babu said his law career was inspired by the inequality and harassment he experienced growing up in the slums.
He recalled how police officers had repeatedly arrested his mother, beating her up and forcing her to bribe them to avoid being taken to court for selling illicit brew.
“Growing up in the slums of Nyalenda, I noticed with deep concern the constant harassment and humiliation of ordinary Kenyans in the brutal hands of law enforcement agencies, most of the time without a clue of what their constitutional rights were.
“My mother got arrested severally and instead of being arraigned in court would be beaten up by police to pay a bribe from her meagre chang’aa sales proceeds,” Babu said.
The painful experience pushed him to study Law to understand its role in safeguarding justice both procedural and substantive.
The lawmaker celebrated his admission to the Bar on Friday, May 23, 2025, noting that it’s a great opportunity to fight for justice and equity for the people harder.
“This achievement is not about personal grandiosity. It is about sharpening the tools of service. The law is now a new battlefield where I will fight even harder for justice, equity, and the rights of the common mwananchi,” Babu said.
Babu Owino is among the most learned Kenyans with impressive academic credentials and an outstanding track record as an MP, having consistently ranked among the top-performing lawmakers.
Born in 1989 in Nyalenda, Kisumu County, Babu grew up in a humble background where he and his family struggled to make ends meet.
How educated is Babu Owino? Here’s his education profile
As the last born in a family of three, Babu at some point contemplated dropping out of school due to financial challenges.
“My mother sold changaa (illegal brew) and used the money generated from the business to take care of us. Changaa was banned and it was difficult for her to conduct the businesses,” the legislator said.
His father died when he was in class three leaving his mother with all the responsibilities of taking care of her family’s needs.
Despite the challenges, he was determined that someday things would align and maintained being among the leading students.
“I was always in the top three. I ensured that I studied hard,” he said.
After he completed his primary education, Babu decided to take a different life path due to financial challenges. His mother however encouraged him to join High School as she had seen potential in him.
“My mother reported to the local chief that I wanted to suspend education. The administrator encouraged me to proceed to high school which I did,” Mr Owino said.
His other siblings decided to temporarily suspend their education to give his mother an easy time to educate the legislator.
Through support from neighbours, he joined Form One at Kisumu Boys High School, where he equally excelled. He won a scholarship to join A-levels at Millennium Academy and got a distinction.
He later joined the University of Nairobi to pursue a course in Actuarial Science, finishing with First Class honors.
Babu holds 6 Diplomas, two degrees in Actuarial Science and law, all earned from the University of Nairobi. He also took Masters in Actuarial Science and Law.
