[Babu Owino in a past event. He was elected MP Embakassi East despite his humble beginning. Photo/Nation]
He may not be a stranger within the political cycles, Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino will go down the history as the second MP to swear in the name of opposition leader Raila odinga.
A reminiscent of former Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, Owino caused drama in parliament after his initial attempts to take a ‘unique’ oath of office.
But his social-political history is such compelling and worth to emulate given his humble beginnings in the Kondele slums, suburbs of Kisumu city.
Having sat for KCPE in Kisumu Township Primary, Owino was recalled by Mang’u High School which he failed to attend due to school fee constraints.
He would later join Kisumu High School where he managed to score grade A minus, earning him a call to Moi University. And again due to poverty, the ambitious Babu yet again failed to report to university.
But following a successful agricultural business, Owino managed to raise fee that enabled him to join University of Nairobi to pursue Actuarial Science degree.
It is at the UoN where he tested his leadership skills when he ran for powerful SONU chairman position which he won in 2011. He would later become the only student leader to defend the seat successfully in subsequent elections in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
To pursue further his political dream, he went for Embakasi East parliamentary seat which he won on an ODM ticket.