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Babu Owino gets his handshake moment with Uhuru


Embakasi East MP Babu Owino on Wednesday grabbed an opportunity for reconciliation with President Uhuru Kenyatta during the State of the Nation address.

Babu walked to the president’s podium and shook his hand after the legislators had punctuated the President’s speech with handshakes to colleagues.

Only Babu, and one other member, walked forward to shake with a smiling President Kenyatta who briefly burst into a hearty laughter before proceeding with his speech.

Just before the handshakes spread around the House, President Kenyatta had urged the legislators to repairs the bonds which frayed during last year’s campaigns.

BY ELECTION

“I pray that all of us will spend the days and weeks after this address repairing the bonds that frayed last year. Let us apologize for our words, and for the anger and malice that Kenyans heard. From Mandera to Maseno, from Mbita to Mvita, from Lodwar to Lunga Lunga, let us shake hands and embrace our neighbours, Oh very good,” the President said in his written speech as legislators started shaking hands across the house.

It was at that moment that Babu walked forward and shook hands with the President.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta shakes hands with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino outside Parliament after his State of the Nation address. PHOTO | COURTESY

“Let us shake hands and embrace our neighbours, and let us celebrate the diversity that is God’s gift to us,” the president proceeded.

The first-time parliamentarian is face an imminent by election after the High Court nullified his election following a successful petition by the Jubilee aspirant Francis Mureithi.

This is what Kenyans online said about the Uhuru-Babu handshake: