Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has issued a clarification after a clip of him admitting to abusing all sorts of drugs went viral.
In the clip that surfaced on Wednesday, June 16, the lawmaker told blogger Robert Alai that during a dark era of his life, he used cocaine, heroin and bhang among other hard drugs as a coping mechanism.
"In my life, there is nothing I haven’t consumed. I have I have consumed soft drugs, moderately soft and even the hardest of the drugs.
Bhang is a hard drug because it can bring some insanity when consumed in excess.
“I have also done cocaine, I have also done heroine. I have done different brands of alcohol but that was in my previous life.
I do accept that when you are on those drugs, a lot can happen. You can make some decisions that are impaired,” he stated.
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Babu Owino and his wife Fridah Muthoni.
Hours after the clip made rounds on social media, Babu offered to put it in proper context explaining that not all was rosy in his life back then.
He explained that he was inspired to share his sobriety journey in order to show the youth not to let their past determine their future.
"Yes, I can confirm that in the past, like many young Kenyans struggling with identity, I fell victim to abuse of drugs.
I was in a dark place in my life; everything appeared rosy to the public but inside, I was struggling with my demons and my outlet was alcohol and drugs.
“I knew that there would be varied reactions to my story - “How can an MP be involved in something like that? But your life appears to be so good?
What do you struggle with compared to ordinary people?” Drugs do not distinguish between rich and poor, young and old, male or female; it can affect anybody,” explained the lawmaker. He further noted that since making the decision to stay sober, he is now celebrating one year of sobriety.
“I have been alcohol and drug free for over one year and thanks to the invaluable support of my lovely wife, my friends and the people of Embakasi East, I have managed to reclaim my story. I no longer have a secret with the devil,” he continued.
In July 2020, Owino confirmed to [I]Kenyans.co.ke[/I] that he was celebrating six months of sobriety as part of his journey to self-recovery.
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He also explained that he was fully dedicating his life to serving his people as well as spending more time with his wife and children.
“I just want to serve the people and that I will not drink alcohol again. Although, I don’t mind those who are drinking,” he assured.
He had also explained the circumstances that led him to the bottle having lived in the slum in Kisumu in a house where his mother brew chang’aa to provide food and education for him.