He was once the firebrand student leader known for his chaotic “campus politics” and a lifestyle that matched his loud rhetoric. But today, Babu Owino claims he is a man transformed.
In a raw and unfiltered interview on Sunday, February 22, 2026, the Embakasi East Member of Parliament admitted for the first time that he used to consume drugs and alcohol with “zeal” before making a life-altering decision to get clean six years ago.
Babu, who has often been at the center of controversy, revealed that his sobriety journey began on January 17, 2020. Since that day, he claims he has not touched a single prohibited substance or a drop of liquor.
“I used to consume bhang, drugs, and alcohol, but I stopped their consumption on 17th January 2020,” the lawmaker stated.
“It has been six years since I touched bhang, drugs, or alcohol—six years—and I just drink water; it is in the public domain.”
The timing of his sobriety—early 2020—aligns with a period when the MP faced significant legal and public pressure, leading to a visible shift in his public persona toward a more “reformed” family man and serious legislator.
However, the MP’s new “zen” lifestyle hasn’t stopped him from engaging in his favorite pastime: political brawling. During the same interview, Babu launched a scathing attack on Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, who has recently been critical of the MP’s past.
Babu accused Mbadi of being “obsessed” with his history of drug use to distract from his own failings at the Treasury.
“John Mbadi should focus on building the nation; he should focus on working at the Treasury,” Babu remarked.
“Focusing on Babu taking bhang while he is focusing on selling Safaricom… there are pending bills he should be focusing on.”
In a June 2021 interview with blogger and current Kileleshwa Ward MCA Robert Alai, Babu Owino publicly admitted to having used both soft and hard drugs—specifically naming cocaine and heroin—during what he described as his “past life”.
The Embakasi East MP, however, insisted that he abused drugs in his previous life, not disclosing when that might have been.
Babu admitted that, in his experience, the drugs had impaired his judgement.
“Personally, I’ve consumed everything. I’ve consumed soft drugs, moderate drugs and even hard drugs. But I didn’t see the benefit of it because it almost led to my destruction.
“I have done a lot of drugs, I’ve done cocaine, heroin and many brands of alcohol but that was in my last life and I have to admit that these drugs impair your judgement and they don’t help the body in any way. If anything, they do a lot of harm to the body,” Babu Owino told Alai.
The admission came years after the firebrand legislator denied having taken hard drugs after a photo of him appearing to be taking a white powdery substance was circulated in the media.
In August 2019, Babu Owino admitted to having abused bhang saying: “The amount I used was very little just to kill any cancerous cells that may be coming up in my body.”
As Babu Owino continues to position himself as a top contender for the Nairobi Gubernatorial seat in the next election, his story of “zealous” addiction turned to absolute sobriety is becoming a central pillar of his political brand.
