The High Court has dismissed an application by Jackson Kihara Gachucha to review his 20-year robbery sentence. Justice Alexander Muteti ruled that the issues had already been settled by the Court of Appeal. Gachucha claims to be the nephew of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The High Court dismissed the application on Wednesday after finding that the matter had been determined on appeal. Justice Alexander Muteti noted that Gachucha was arrested in 2015 while his father died in 2017. This timeline undermined claims that the robbery case was linked to a succession dispute over the estate of the late Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua.
Gachucha argued that the prosecution was driven by a personal vendetta connected to inheritance claims. He is serving the sentence at Manyani Maximum Prison. The court held that factual issues already decided by the Court of Appeal could not be revisited by the High Court.
Justice Muteti added that some issues fell outside the High Court’s jurisdiction and could only be pursued at the Supreme Court. The 20-year sentence for robbery with violence remains in place.