“I Turned Ruto Down”: Babu Owino Claims He Rejected Education CS Offer During Gen Z Protests

NAIROBI — Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has claimed that President William Ruto offered him the position of Cabinet Secretary for Education during the height of the youth-led Gen Z protests to quell widespread anti-government demonstrations.

Speaking during a local radio broadcast, the vocal Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) lawmaker revealed that emissaries from the administration approached him with the Cabinet offer while the government scrambled to manage youth outrage over tax hikes and governance concerns.

Babu Owino stated that he rejected the offer, maintaining that joining the Cabinet during a public uprising would have betrayed the trust of young Kenyans demanding systemic reforms and accountability.

“The President offered me the Education docket through negotiators when the heat was high,” the lawmaker said. “I turned it down because my commitment remains with the ordinary youth and the struggle for genuine economic and governance changes, not personal appointments.”

The Embakasi East legislator reiterated his position as an independent voice within the opposition, emphasizing that public leaders must prioritize the public interest over executive positions or co-optation into broad-based governance arrangements.

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