NAIROBI, Kenya — The battle for the multi-billion shilling estate of the late James Nderitu Gachagua is no longer just a family feud; it is now a matter of national legal inquiry. In an explosive formal appeal submitted on Friday, March 27, 2026, the family of the first Nyeri Governor provided chilling details to support their claim that the will used to distribute his wealth was a fraudulent “cunning scheme.”
The petition, signed by widow Margaret Nyokabi Nderitu and her four children, centers on a document they claim was created while the Governor was physically and mentally incapable of signing anything.1. The “Draft” Red FlagThe most glaring evidence cited by the family is the document’s own title. The petition notes that the will currently being relied upon bears the inscription “Draft Last Will and Testament.” > “A ‘draft’ document cannot, by any stretch of reason or law, constitute the final will and testament of the deceased,” the letter states. The family argues that a working draft was irregularly presented to the court as a final document to facilitate the transfer of assets.
2. Witness from the Bedside: Susan Kirigo’s Account
The petition includes a powerful firsthand account from Susan Kirigo Nderitu, the Governor’s daughter, who was at his bedside during his final days at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London in February 2017.
She testifies that her father’s condition had “catastrophically deteriorated” to the point where he was legally and physically incapacitated. According to the family, the late Governor was unable to see, write, or comprehend legal language at the time the will was purportedly executed. They describe the document as being “diametrically inconsistent with medical reality.”
