The fierce government crackdown on protestors during the disputed 2017 general elections has come back to haunt former police spokesman Charles Owino.
Owino, who is vying for the Siaya County governorship, says he is often reminded of his then hardline stance whenever he is out in his campaign trails.
“To date, the complaints that were there in 2017 affect my campaigns because I hear some people say you fought us. How come you now want to come and lead us?” he revealed.
Appearing alongside former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar for Citizen TV’s News Night show, Owino said he was a police officer mandated to enforce laws and regulations.
Kenyan police killed at least 33 people in the capital during a crackdown following elections in August 2017, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said.
In the show opener with host Waihiga Mwaura, Owino said that as a policeman, and as a spokesman, most of the time he had to remain neutral and enforce the law as required.
Luckily, he said, he is transiting from being a police officer to a politician and has always had a way of feeding off the allegations, mostly from his competitors.
“You must understand that they’re just competitors and have nothing to offer. They have nothing to pin you down on and therefore have to get something in competition,” he said.
He said his nature of training has enabled him to handle his competitors, by always having an answer to what he termed as unfounded allegations.
Owino will face it off with former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, Senator James Orengo, Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, among others to succeed governor Cornel Rasanga.
Owino has picked Rose Midiwo, the widow of former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, as his running mate in the 2022 Siaya gubernatorial race.