The victim identified as James Kipira during the rescue process at the Supreme Court of Kenya on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [PHOTO: CYRUS OMBATI]The Judiciary has said it is investigating the motive behind a man who set himself on fire outside the Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, a man set himself on fire outside the Supreme Court in Nairobi over what he termed as delayed justice.
In a statement hours after the incident, Judiciary Spokesperson Paul Ndemo said they are investigating to know if the incident is linked to a court matter.
“It is expected that once the man is treated and out of danger, the police will interrogate him to reveal the cause of his shocking action. Meanwhile, the Judiciary is taking a keen interest in the matter, with a view to establishing if his drastic action could be linked to a court matter,” he said.
“We wish the man a speedy recovery.”
Judiciary said on Tuesday at about 9:30 am, a man, whose identity has not been conclusively established, while walking along City Hall Way, stopped outside the Supreme Court building.
“He was carrying some documents and a bottle with a liquid. While standing on the street pavement, he placed the documents on the ground, doused himself in the liquid believed to be petrol, and pulled out a lighter, setting himself on fire,” Ndemo said.
According to him, security officers at the gate of the Supreme Court Building responded immediately and rushed to rescue the man by putting out the fire.
Ndemo said the man sustained serious burns following the Tuesday morning incident.
He said a police officer in charge of security at the Supreme Court reached out to the KICC Police Station, and some police officers were sent over.
“The Nairobi County Government was quickly contacted and provided an ambulance. The police officers put the man in the ambulance and said they were taking him to Kenyatta National Hospital. The police also took away the documents and the burned clothes.”
