Man who sneaked into State House pleads for Uhuru’s help
A young man who jumped into State House, Nairobi, has pleaded with President Uhuru Kenyatta to help him complete his education.
Matthew Kinuthia Maina was charged on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to the charge of entering a protected zone illegally.
The court was told in an interesting turn of events that he is a minor and not a terror suspect.
Mr Maina had been presented before Resident Magistrate Edda Agade on Monday, alongside two other men arrested on the same day with him by the Anti -Terror Police Unit (ATPU), on suspicion that they were all members of the Al Shabaab.
RECORD SONGS
“Yes I jumped into State House because I knew I will find the President there. I wanted him to help me with money to record my songs so that I can be able to raise my fees and go back to school. I just wanted to ask for his help, I still do,” he said.
According to the charges, he was on June 19 found entering into a protected zone in Nairobi’s Kilimani area without permission in contravention with Sections 3 and 9 of the Protected Areas Act.
But the Prosecution told court on Tuesday that interrogations had revealed that the suspect has no terror related links. Magistrate Agade had directed a day earlier that he be detained alongside the other two suspects for eight days to allow ATPU to complete investigations.
Prosecution explained that he had been handed back to the regular police.
But even as Maina was charged, the court was told that he is sixteen years old and therefore he should not have been taken to court.
AGE ASSESSMENT
And following the turn of events, Magistrate Daniel Ogembo ordered that an age assessment be carried out to determine his true age.
“Let Prosecution and police ensure that an age assessment is carried out immediately,” Magistrate Ogembo said.
In court documents filed by Mr Bernard Ndirangu, Mr Maina was arrested after jumping the perimeter wall and entered State house while claiming that he intended to ask the President to lend him money so that he could record his songs.
The case will be mentioned next Wednesday, July 1.