Presidential aspirant Peter Gichira arrested for attempted suicide

[Zurie]

Mgombea binafsi Peter Solomon Gichira alijikuta akikamatwa na kuwekwa ndani baada ya kujaribu kujiua kwa kujirusha kutoka ghorofa ya sita katika jengo la Tume ya Uchaguzi ya Kenya(IEBC) Jijini Nairobi.

Hii ni baada ya IEBC kumwambia kuwa asingepitishwa kugombea kama mgombea binafsi wa kiti cha Urais na kuamua kwenda katika ofisi zao ili kupata ufafanuzi zaidi.

Mashuhuda wanasema kuwa Gichira alitaka kuonana na Mwenyekiti wa Tume Bw. Wafula Chebukati na pale alipoelekezwa kwenye ofisi za Sekretariet alibadilika na kuanza kufanya fujo. Kisha akasukuma dirisha na kujaribu kujirusha kabla walinzi hawajamshikilia. Kiongozi wa Polisi Jijini Nairobi, Japheth Koome amesema kuwa Gichira atashitakiwa kwa makosa ya kusababisha usumbufu, kuharibu mali na kujaribu kujiua.

Gichira alikataliwa na Tume kwa kigezo kuwa wagombea urais lazima wapeleke taarifa za "supporters" wao 2000 zikiwa katika mfumo wa Excel na wawe wanachama wa chama cha siasa anachotoka mgombea huyo. Gichira alisema kigezo hiki ni cha kibaguzi kwani kinawapa wakati mgumu wagombea binafsi.

Mahakama kuu ilishatengua sheria inayohusiana na kigezo hiko hivyo inamaanisha mgombea anaweza kupendekezwa na mtu yeyote.

IEBC inategemea kuhakiki wagombea 8 wa urais siku ya tarehe 28 na 29 huku wagombea 8 binafsi wakikosekana katika list hiyo kwa kukosa sahihi za watu waliowapendekeza.

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Independent presidential aspirant Peter Solomon Gichira was arrested and locked up in police cells after he allegedly tried to commit suicide by jumping off sixth floor of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission offices in Nairobi.

This was after IEBC told him he would not be cleared to present his papers and run as an independent candidate for the presidential seat. Gichira had arrived at the IEBC offices, Anniversary Towers on Saturday afternoon to seek clarification on the list of those to be cleared when he received the news.

Witnesses said Gichira sought audience with the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and when he was directed to the secretariat offices, he turned violent. He then pushed a window and tried to jump out before security guards grabbed him. Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said Gichira would be charged with causing disturbance, destruction of property and attempting to commit 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 his night at the Central police station.

But Gichira’s campaign manager and lawyer denied the claims and said Gichira was being punished by the commission after he successfully challenged rules set on independent candidates in relation to the presidential seat. Following his application, the High Court nullified sections of the Elections Act and requirements by the commission while submitting their nomination papers.

Gichira, in his suit had said the requirement that presidential candidates must submit supporters’ details in a Microsoft Excel format and must not be members of a registered political party was discriminatory. The requirement, according to the court documents, was announced to prospective candidates on May 17 through social media. Judge George Odunga Friday barred the commission from rejecting nomination signatures lists of 2000 supporters unless submitted in Excel format.


According to the judge, the requirement is unconstitutional. The judge however refused to issue a blanket order directing IEBC to acknowledge receipt and accept the submitted signatures of the persons who have nominated Gichira. Also nullified is a section of the Elections Act that requires that persons who nominate an Independent Presidential candidate shall not be members of any political party.

The judge set aside section 29(1) of the Elections Act that requires the persons who nominate a Presidential candidate be members of the candidates’ political party saying it contravenes the Constitution. The judge in his findings declared that IEBC went overboard and purported to unlawfully and unjustifiably restrict or limit the rights of the Presidential candidates under the Constitution. Gichira said the new requirement was non-existent when he was issued with the necessary forms and cleared by the Registrar of Political Parties on March 30.

Source: Standardmedia.co.ke