A son to the late chief spymaster James Kanyotu has written to the director of criminal investigations inquiring on the arrest and prosecution of his step mother who threatened to kill him.
In a letter dated August 16, Willy Kihara says that sometimes in 2018, he received threatening texts and a letter with contents threatening his life.
“I filed the complaints in the succession court and the court ordered the director of criminal investigation department, to investigate.That on the 30/10/2018 I received a report that the director of the criminal investigation department had investigated and identified a suspect one Jane Gathoni Muraya”, Kihara says in the letter.
He states that since then the suspect has never been charged despite the fact that he still receive death threats.
Kindly and in writing inform me the status of the matter, he said.
In 2018, the widow of ex-spy chief James Kanyotu was accused of threatening to kill her stepson to disinherit him from his father’s estate in Ruiru, Kiambu county.
Kihara, son of the late boss of the Special Branch (now the National Intelligence Service), filed an application in the High Court asking the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe Jane Gathoni Muraya over an alleged attempt to eliminate him for fighting for a share of the estate.
Justice Margaret Muigai allowed Kihara’s plea and issued an order directing the DCI to institute investigations into the allegation with a view of taking action.
“In light of the various complaints of threats to life to various members of the family of Kanyotu, each of them shall file affidavits and serve,” the judge ruled.
She said the DCI shall investigate the matter and determine source of SMS/phone contact and provide security to the threatened parties during court proceedings.
A forensic examiner’s report on a letter sent to a hitman filed in court as part of evidence identifies Muraya as the author.
Kihara claimed that his three stepbrothers have since died under mysterious circumstances. He asked police to hasten the probe and charge those responsible to avoid further loss of lives.
He said the threats and attempt on his life are due to his fight to protect the estate of his late father.
In his affidavit, Kihara said the estate had lost properties worth in excess of Sh10 billion due to wanton disposal by the administrators to the detriment of the other beneficiaries.
Kihara said the administrators have without a just cause failed to pay him his fair share of the proceeds obtained after the disposal of property situated in Kiambu county.
“I am also privy to the fact that some persons have previously been hired by one of the administrators of the estate to have me killed for fighting for my rights as son and beneficiary of my father’s estate,” Kihara says.
He says he has received several shorts messages through his mobile phone warning him to keep off the estate’s affairs otherwise “I will regret my actions in due course”.