By ADEN KIPRUTO
A son of the late Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua has accused his uncle, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, of allegedly framing him in a robbery with violence case in an attempt to take control of a multi-million-shilling family estate.
Jackson Kihara, who is serving a 20-year jail term for robbery with violence, made the allegations before High Court Judge Alexander Muteti while seeking a review of his sentence.
Kihara claimed he was threatened and intimidated by Gachagua, allegedly in an effort to force him to surrender key documents said to have been entrusted to him by his late father regarding the family estate.
“I am in this situation because I declined to give my uncle (Rigathi Gachagua) documents entrusted to me by my late father in relation to the family estate,” Kihara told the court.
He further said he had tried unsuccessfully to resolve the matter out of court.
“I have attempted to reach out to my uncle Gachagua to resolve this matter but he has declined. My family members, including my sister, have tried to reach him in vain,” he added.
Kihara told the court that he decided to speak out after allegedly being assured of his safety by the government.
However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions denied the claims, stating that no assurances of security or assistance had been given to him regarding his release.
Kihara also alleged that city lawyer Danstan Omari received 95 percent of an agreed KSh500,000 legal fee for filing a sentence review application but failed to fully pursue the matter.
He claimed that attempts to reach the lawyer had been unsuccessful.
“After lawyer Omari received the money, he abandoned me and has never been reachable to date,” he said.
He further stated that he had reported the matter to the Law Society of Kenya disciplinary committee and brought it to the attention of former LSK President Faith Odhiambo.
Kihara is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of robbery with violence on March 16, 2015.
He was initially sentenced to death before the sentence was quashed, leading to a retrial and a subsequent 20-year jail term imposed on April 20, 2020.
Justice Muteti is expected to rule on the application for review of the sentence on June 17, 2026.
The court also directed Manyani Maximum Security Prison to facilitate the escort of the convict to a secret location where he claims to have hidden key estate documents.
