Babu Owino Speaks on Cocaine Use, His Journey to Becoming Sober
Amid the triumphant entry of Embakasi East Member of Parliament Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino into politics and his subsequent election to the National Assembly, he concurrently grappled with substance abuse issues.
The youthful parliamentarian revealed in an interview with PoliticalPulseChat that he formerly used hard liquor, cocaine, and traditional brews but has since abstained, devoting himself to his political career and constituents.
Babu explains that his turbulent past was a byproduct of his youth and that he is now a national figure who has undergone a significant transformation. He desires to improve the lives of his constituents, a goal he holds many leaders to, including Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
“The moment you are in your youth, you are very energetic, you want to explore and experience the adventure. I don’t regret having been in that life because now it has made me wiser and makes me know it’s not good to be involved in such a lifestyle,” he detailed.
“I used to drink alcohol, chew miraa, use cocaine, smoke bhang, drink chang’aa, drink busaa, muratina all these things.”
The member of parliament claims to have given up narcotics in January 2020. The author observes that the way of life eventually became too much for him, prompting him to conclude that he had exhausted his resources.
His decision was coincidentally reached during the time that he was embroiled in a gunfight at a club in Nairobi.
“Having done all this, I knew the juice was not worth all the squeeze. I was just a fan at that moment. It was a decision that I made that enough is enough. From January 2020 to date, I have never drunk alcohol nor touched any hard drugs for that matter,” Owino noted.
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“Everything is in the state of mind. The moment you decide to do something, you will do it. The moment I decided to stop drug and substance abuse, my conviction was clear.”
Ascending the political hierarchy, Owino has emerged as one of the most vociferous Kenyan parliament members.
According to his supporters, Owino is an accomplished statesman who entered national politics after beginning his career in the corridors of power at the University of Nairobi (UoN) as a member of the Student Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU).
However, the second-term member of parliament is regarded by his detractors as a troublemaker and a loose weapon whose previous statements and actions ought to disqualify him from public office.
As a result, he is equally despised and adored, which may be indicative of his political ascent to prominence.
A member of parliament for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the defeating victor in two elections positions him favorably for more significant electoral responsibilities.
With the accumulation of 46,587 ballots, he was proclaimed the victor in the 2017 General Election. He maintained his position in the 2022 General Election with 57,410 votes, defeating his closest opponent, Francis Mureithi of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), who received 29,104 ballots.
Babu Owino Speaks on Cocaine Use, His Journey to Becoming Sober