Sakaja threatens legal action against Babu Owino over Eastleigh approval dispute
Sakaja threatens legal action against Babu Owino over Eastleigh approval dispute
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has given Embakasi East MP Babu Owino six hours to pull down social media posts linking him to a disputed development approval involving the ill-fated building in Eastleigh.
Through documents on Sunday, October 25, Sakaja, through his lawyers, accused the MP of publishing misleading information about a Nairobi City County development approval on X and Facebook.
“Our client informs us that on 25th October 2026 at approximately 1:27 pm, you published on the X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook platforms a post regarding the alleged City County approval for development on LR/Parcel No. 36/11/40 situated in Eastleigh within Kamkunji Sub-county,” stated the document in part.
“TAKE NOTICE THEREFORE THAT we have hereby been instructed to DEMAND that you pull down the said social media post with immediate effect due to the apparent error in the information published on your social media platforms and the already accruing defamatory effect that it is having on his professional reputation, public image and personal morale, which we do DEMAND that you comply with the above demand within six (6) hours of this notice without fail.”
The demand letter warned that failure to comply within the stated timeframe would prompt legal proceedings against Owino, with the MP facing associated legal costs and expenses.
The governor’s lawyers disputed the information, insisting that the document wrongly attributed the approval to him in his capacity as a registered physical planner.
Owino had published the posts on X and Facebook at approximately 1:27 pm on October 25, discussing the approval status of the collapsed multi-storey building.
In his posts, the MP accused Sakaja of misleading Kenyans by claiming the building lacked approval, arguing that county records showed otherwise.
Owino also alleged that Ksh120 million had changed hands as a bribe to secure the development approval, claims that formed part of his criticism of the governor.
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In response, Sakaja shared a series of documents disputing Babu Owino’s allegations and maintaining that Nairobi County had not approved the commencement of construction at the Eastleigh site.
Among the documents were police reports dated July 16 detailing alleged breaches of county laws in connection with the construction and naming individuals linked to the project.
Other correspondence, dated two months earlier, showed that Sakaja had purportedly written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), citing stalled prosecutions of county law offenses since 2024. He requested the gazettement of special prosecutors, the revision of charging guidelines, and the approval of six nominated officers to strengthen enforcement, including action against the Eastleigh construction.
The building collapse happened on October 23 along Yusuf Haji Avenue (9th Street), with the cause attributed to structural failure, and triggered a major multi-agency search and rescue operation led by the Kenya Red Cross.
The National Police Service (NPS) has since confirmed on Sunday, October 25, that four people had been rescued and were receiving medical attention in hospital.
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