Presidential aspirant to face attempted suicide charges

Independent Presidential aspirant Peter Solomon Gichira will spend a second night in custody at Central police Station in Nairobi before being arraigned in court on Monday, May 29.

Gichira was arrested by police on Saturday, May 27, at IEBC headquarters in Anniversary Towers after he allegedly attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the sixth floor poll body office.

Nairobi central OCPD Robinson Thuku confirmed that Gichira would face three accounts on Monday, namely: attempted suicide, malicious damage to property and creating disturbance.

“He broke some glasses at the IEBC offices,” said the OCPD.

Police have denied the debutant politician bond arguing that ‘the spirit that prompted him to try suicide could still be in him.’

His lawyer Gachie Mwanzia, however, gave a different account.

Mwanzi told Citizen Digital that Gichira had gone to the electoral commission’s offices seeking answers as to why the commission failed to comply with a court order squashing the 48,000 signature requirement for independent candidates.

His visit to Anniversary Towers, the lawyer said, turned chaotic when he was barred from meeting IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati.

Gichira was axed from the final list of 10 candidates shortlisted by IEBC to present their nomination credentials for approval to run for presidential office.

His lawyer has condemned the electoral commission’s actions, further stating that the arrest was targeted at locking Gichira out of the polls because he would be dealing with matters of the arrest as other candidates present their papers.

“It is a plot by IEBC to lock out Hon. Gichira from the race,” said the lawyer.

Gichira is currently at Central Police Station, Nairobi and he will be arraigned in court Monday.