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Tour company offers Bungoma chopper man free ride, authorities to press charges


The man who caused a stir by hanging on to a chopper in Bungoma may have just won himself a free flying package even as the authorities say they will charge him in court.

A tweet by Bonfire Adventures asked their followers to retweet the post if they think Mr Wanjala deserves a chance to fly comfortably after his dangerous stunt of hanging on a moving helicopter.

But the authorities say they would press charges on Mr Saleh Wanjala for endangering his life and attempted suicide. He is also likely to face charges of endangering the lives of the crew in the chopper.

 

Mr Wanjala has been branded Kenya’s dumbest man after he hanged on a chopper that had delivered the body of slain businessman Jacob Juma as it took off from Bungoma’s Posta grounds on Friday.

Following his daredevil stunt, Mr Wanjala, who sustained injuries on his hip joint, elbow and eyebrow after jumping off the aircraft, seems to have gotten more than he bargained for.

Photos from Bungoma Referral Hospital, where Mr Wanjala was admitted at the end of his brief airborne escapade, shows him handcuffed to his hospital bed.

During an interview with Nairobi News on Saturday, Bungoma County Commissioner, Mohamed Malim, said Mr Wanjala will be prosecuted for endangering his life.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Mr Saleh Wanjala handcuffed to his hospital bed at Bungoma Referral Hospital. PHOTO | GERALD BWISA
Mr Saleh Wanjala handcuffed to his hospital bed at Bungoma Referral Hospital. PHOTO | GERALD BWISA

“Mr Wanjala will be in court as soon as he is able to move and he will be charged with attempted suicide and endangering the lives of the people who were in the chopper,” Mr Malim said.

The County boss also said that investigations were underway to establish why the pilot landed at Posta grounds yet it was not a designated airstrip.

But while speaking exclusively to Nairobi News from his hospital bed, the 41-year-old man in the center of the controversy said he was drunk and confused the helicopter for a matatu.

“I do odd jobs in Bugoma to support my family, and when the helicopter was leaving I thought it was a matatu so I hanged on it,” Mr Wanjala said.

Mr Wanjala asked Kenyans to pray for him because the month of May is one that comes with misfortunes for him.

“Recently I found myself in someone’s compound and later I was told that I had slaughtered the home owner’s chicken. Please pray for me,” a remorseful Wanjala said.

Reports by Sylvania Ambani, Hilary Kimuyu and Gerald Bwisa