- Embakasi East MP Babu Owino received a demand letter from the supposed developer of the collapsed Eastleigh building, requiring an apology within six hours
- Babu Owino's legal team dismissed the ultimatum and said the MP would not be silenced over a tragedy that claimed lives
- The lawyers also flagged an error in the demand letter, which addressed the MP as 'Madam'
Amos Khaemba is a Current Affairs Editor at TUKO.co.ke, covering political and world news. Khaemba has over four years of journalism experience and joined TUKO.co.ke in 2022.
Nairobi - Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has refused to retract statements he made about the collapse of a 16-storey building in Eastleigh, pushing back against legal pressure from the supposed developer of the structure.
Source: Facebook
In a response dated October 26, 2026, seen by TUKO.co.ke, Owino's legal team rejected a six-hour ultimatum that had been issued by lawyer Elisha Gweth Onyango on behalf of the alleged developer, who accused the MP of publishing defamatory content on X and Facebook on October 25, 2026.
Babu Owino's legal team fires back
The demand letter alleged that Owino had shared a purported County Government Notification of Approval that listed the supposed developer as the registered Physical Planner for a parcel of land in Eastleigh where the building stood before it came down the previous Friday.
The developer's lawyers sought the removal of the social media post within six hours, warning that failure to comply would result in legal proceedings.
Owino's legal team was unequivocal in its response, stating: "Our client takes a strong exception to your attempt to characterise his statements concerning the collapsed Eastleigh building as defamatory when the tragedy raises serious questions about public safety, regulatory oversight and accountability."
The team went further, ruling out any possibility of an apology to either the developer or Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja: "Our client will neither apologise to your client nor to Governor Johnson Sakaja for demanding answers over a tragedy that has claimed lives and left families devastated. He has no intention of being bullied into silence, and a threat of litigation will not make questions of public interest disappear."
Demand letter error flagged
The lawyers also pointed to an error in the original demand letter, noting it had addressed the MP as "Madam," raising doubts about whether the ultimatum had been prepared with proper care and diligence.
On the substance of the allegation, Owino's team clarified that the developer is an architect by profession and not a physical planner, attaching his practising certificate as evidence to dispute the claim made in the shared document.
Owino's team made clear that the MP intends to continue pressing Governor Sakaja and the relevant county authorities for answers regarding the building's collapse, regardless of the legal threat.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Authors:
Tags:
Hot: