Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has joined a growing number of Kenyan legislators who are currently calling for the deportation of illegal Chinese traders in the country.
Speaking after standing in solidarity with Starehe MP Charles Njagua when he appeared before a Nairobi court, Babu insisted that while the manner in which Jaguar communicated might not have been the best, the point he made remains valid.
Babu observed that in as much as trade pacts were encouraged, small scale businesses in Kenya should be left for the locals only and not foreigners who according to Owino were flooding the country in large numbers with some already acquiring the local dialects.
Owino added that no Kenyan has been allowed to do small scale business in China as compared to Kenya were officials have carelessly granted foreigners business permits at the expense of the Kenyan traders.
He urged the DCI to release the Starehe member of parliament since he had not committed any offense rather representing the interests of his constituents. Babu observed that Jaguar’s rights had been infringed since the detectives had no solid evidence against the first-term legislator.
Here are what the vocal Embakasi MP posted on his Facebook account shortly after coming out of the court;
RELEASE HON JAGUAR
I note the heightened local and international tension that has arisen from the recent utterances made by my colleague and brother Hon Charles Kanyi Njagua regarding work permits issued to immigrants.
While the manner in which he communicated it may not have been the best, the point he made remains valid. And this same point has been made by other high ranking government officials in the past regarding the legality of work permits issued to blue collar immigrants to do jobs that Kenyans are well capable of doing. It is therefore peculiar that Hon Njagua has been isolated in the actions by the authorities.
I urge the DCI to approach this issue with sobriety and not persecute Hon Njagua for doing his duty and representing his constitutents. Our constitution guarantees the freedom of expression and speech to which Hon Njagua is entitled. The DCI must not be seen to be curtailing the rights of Kenyans to speak out on issues that affect them.
An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind!
Comrade Babu Owino,
MP, Embakasi East and Leader, Youth For Africa Movement.
Babu Owino joins the list of growing Members of parliament including Moses Kuria of Gatundu South, Nickson Korir of Lang’ata, Majority leader Aden Duale among others who are calling for the release of Jaguar.
On Wednesday while contributing at the floor of parliament, Majority of leader Aden Duale appeared to indirectly support Mr. Njagua’s utterances after emotionally threatening to have foreign traders kicked out of city markets.
Duale in an emotional speech wondered why Kenya had allowed traders from outside the country to carry out their businesses in the country at the expense of the locals when other countries like neighbouring Tanzania were busy posing sanctions on goods from Kenya including the recent scenario where President Magufuli ordered the auctioning of Kenyan herd of cattle seized in Tanzania.
He maintained that there was a need for the government to protect the common ‘Wanjiku’ in Gikombaa market against competitions from foreigners. He insisted that Kenya was not a dumping site for foreign countries.
Mr Njagua, who was arrested by plainclothes police officers outside Parliament Buildings, had earlier talked about people from Tanzania, Uganda and China, accusing them of dominating Nairobi markets.
The growing number of concerns arising from Jaguar’s sentiments have threatened to threatened bilateral relations between Kenya and its neighbours with Tanzania already summoning Kenya’s High Commissioner to Tanzania to explain Jaguars unfortunate remarks.
Many Kenyans online seem to have agreed with both Babu Owino and Duale with some urging the leaders to continue fighting for their interests.