A file photo of the State House, Nairobi. Police have arrested independent presidential aspirant Solomon Gichira for attempting to commit suicide on Sunday morning at the IEBC headquarters.
Police in Nairobi have arrested an independent presidential candidate and locked him up for attempted suicide.
Peter Solomon Gichira was on Saturday arrested and locked up in police cells after allegedly trying to kill himself by jumping off the sixth floor of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices in Nairobi.
This came after the electoral commission told him his papers would not be cleared and that therefore he would not run for office as an independent in the August 8 polls.
Gichira had arrived at the offices located on Anniversary Towers yesterday Saturday afternoon seeking clarification on those to be cleared when he received the sad news.Witnesses said he sought audience with IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and that he turned violent when he was directed to the secretariat offices.
It is reported that he then pushed a window and attempted to jump out before security guards on call grabbed and whisked him away.Confirming the incident, Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said Gichira will be charged with causing disturbance, destruction of property and attempted suicide.
“He broke a window and tried to jump from the sixth floor of the building after he was informed he would not be cleared to present his papers for the presidency as an independent candidate. He would be in court on Monday,” said Koome.
He spent the night at the Central police station.