A man who clung to Cord leader Raila Odinga’s helicopter landing skids as it took off has been charged with attempted suicide.
Julius Mwithalii, 28, denied the charge before Maua senior resident magistrate Anthony Munene on Monday.
The court heard that during a political rally on January 26 in Maili Tatu grounds, Igembe Central, Mwithalii tried to kill himself by riding on the chopper’s landing skids without the pilot’s knowledge.
His lawyer Hosea Mutembei asked the court for lenient bail terms, saying Mwithalii is the sole breadwinner and a father of three, and also takes care of his six siblings. The court remanded Mwithalii until Friday, when a psychiatrist’s report will be tabled in court.
Media reports state that a man stunned residents on Thursday last week when he comfortably swung up and sat on the chopper’s landing skids and held on with one hand while waving to the crowds below.
On May 14 last year, a man in Bungoma clung to a helicopter that had transported the body of slain businessman Jacob Juma. The video clip of the man, nicknamed “Bungoma’s James Bond”, was widely shared on social media.
