No end in sight for Kihika family disputes as court cases abound

The children of former Nakuru North MP Dickson Kihika Kimani have taken family’s wrangles a notch higher after they chose to square out their differences in court.

The former legislator’s family has been embroiled in a long standing succession dispute between his eight widows who are yet to agree on the distribution of the multi-million shillings property that he left behind.

The differences between the widows are now being replicated by some of his 41 children who have chosen to take on each other in court battles.

FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

Ms Peris Njoki Kihika, the daughter of Ms Jane Wanjiru (Mr Kihika’ third wife) is, for instance, fighting for her freedom after she was convicted in 2015 for assaulting her step-sister Ms Carolyne Wanjiku Kihika.

Ms Wanjiku is the sister of Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, both born of Mr Kihika’s second wife, Ms Alice Kihika.

Ms Njoki has filed an appeal at the High Court in Nakuru contesting the judgement delivered by Resident Magistrate Rita Amwayi in May 2015 sentencing her to two years’ imprisonment after she was found guilty on March 23, 2013.

ATTACK

According to the prosecution, Ms Njoki attacked her step-sister and beat her up before she escaped and locked herself in her house in Ngomongo, Nakuru.

The court heard that Ms Njoki later followed her while armed with a panga, threatening to harm her.

But Ms Njoki, in her appeal filed in 2016 through lawyer David Mong’eri, accused the trial court of being biased and unfair in its judgement.

She has faulted the magistrate for unlawfully sentencing her to a jail term without an option of fine and failing to consider her evidence showing that she was framed.

PROPERTY ROW

She says the charges emerged from a long standing issues between the families over property ownership and are being used to punish her.

“The appellant and the complainant have been having an ongoing issue between them due to land disputes and other pending cases. It is clear that the complainant and his brother do not want the appellant to inherit any part of the land parcel and that is why they are making false charges against her,” read the submission by Mr Mongeri.

Upon filing the appeal, Ms Njoki successfully persuaded the court to free her on a Sh30,000 bond pending the hearing and determination of the matter.

APPEAL UNHEARD

But the appeal has remained unheard after several adjournments and applications were made by the prosecution.

On July 20, 2017 State Counsel Amos Chigiti applied to have the sentence enhanced from two years to five years.

When the case was mentioned on Monday, Justice Janet Mulwa directed that it be heard on December 10.

Mr Kimani, a veteran politician who served as an MP for Nakuru North (1974-1979), Laikipia West (1992-1997) and Molo (1997-2002) died in 2004 aged 78 years.

His widows Nyambura Kihika, Lucy Wangari, Jane Wanjiru, Miriam Warau, Charity Nyambura, Margaret Wambui, Winnie Wanjeri and Alice Kihika have been embroiled in a decade-long court dispute over the sharing of the wealth he left behind estimated to be valued at Sh600 million.