Music producer offers help for State House trespass suspect

A trespassing suspect held for scaling a perimeter wall and entering State House has been ordered back into custody.

At the same time, a local music producer has offered to assist the teenage suspect, who has since pleaded guilty to entering a restricted area.

The teenager is to remain in custody, pending an age-assessment report, before his fate can be determined.

The suspect allegedly trespassed into State House “to seek audience with the President to help him record his songs”.

The teenager (name withheld) was initially arrested as a terrorism suspect before the police dropped the charge and instead accused him of mere trespassing.

He has since pleaded guilty and is being held at the Industrial Area Remand Prison.

On Wednesday, Mr Joe Kariuki, the chief executive of Candy n Candy Records, accompanied the suspect to court.

He said he had offered to bail out the high school dropout.

OFFER TO RECORD SONGS

He has also pledged to help the suspect record his songs “for free” at his Nairobi-based production studios.

Mr Kariuki said he was moved by the boy's plight after reading the story in local dailies.

“He is not a criminal, he was only chasing his dream,” Mr Kariuki told journalists at the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday.

The musician-cum-politician said the act of scaling the State House perimeter wall was a “desperate cry for help”.

Bail terms, however, would not be determined yet as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has not filed the age-assessment report.

Nairobi Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo had directed the DPP to furnish the court with the report before a final decision could be made concerning the offence.

Mr Kariuki also wants to help the boy return to school and has pledged Sh500,000 towards his studies.

A police affidavit attached to the suspect's file stated that he was arrested on June 19 “after jumping the perimeter wall and entering State House, Nairobi”.

“He wanted to see the President (to ask him for) money (so he could) record his songs,” the police affidavit stated.

The police had initially been granted eight days to profile the suspect as they stated he would face terrorism-related offences.

On Wednesday, the trial court ordered the teenager back to prison remand and set the mention of his case for Friday.

Two lawyers objected to the delay in the case, stating that they had provided a birth certificate that indicated the suspect is 16 years old.

They said the case should be referred from the Criminal Court to the Children’s Court for adjudication.