Jimi Wanjigi’s father now skips Nyeri court session citing health concerns

Maina Wanjigi says  police took his gun from a bedroom in his son Jimi's Muthaiga house where he spent the night in solidarity with the family after police besieged the property in a failed attempt to arrest the son in October 2017. [Courtesy]

The father of NASA backer and controversial businessman Jimi Wanjigi, who was expected before a Nyeri Court today, to face gun-related charges did not show up citing health concerns.

Maina Wanjigi, 86, a one-time Cabinet Minister for Co-operative Development in the  Moi administration, had been summoned through the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to answer charges of failing to keep safe his firearm, contrary to Section 18 (3) as read with Section 18 (4) of the Firearms Act Cap 114 laws of Kenya.

He is alleged to have committed the offence on October 17, 2017.

“…failed to keep the gun in safe custody, in a safe condition and without reasonable precaution to ensure the weapon is not lost or stolen, and was not at any time available to any person not lawfully entitled to possess it,” the charge sheet read in part.

The gun was among a cache recovered during a raid on his son’s home in Muthaiga in Nairobi last year.

On the fateful day, Jimi Wanjigi was charged with eleven counts of being in possession of illegal firearms.

The charge sheet indicated that he had five types of firearms- Ceska, Glock 19, a semi-automatic self-loading military assault rifle make CQ, and another rifle-a mini Archer.

Maina Wanjigi, who is licensed gun owner, has maintained he has had his weapon (Glock 19 pistol) for more than 50 years.

On Saturday March 3, 2018 police inspectors visited his Karen home and served him with court summons to appear in the Nyeri court today.

His lawyer Kiogora Mugambi told the court that Maina Wanjigi was unwell and was recuperating from a recent surgical operation.

Kiogora added that Wanjigi could not even be transported to the court due to his health and was unavailable to take plea for the next six months, an argument contested by the prosecution saying no medical records had been produced to show the accused was unwell.

The magistrate directed Kiogora to produce the health records on March 15 when the case will be mentioned.

This is as Maina’s counsel also requested the court to direct the prosecution to supply him with the charge sheet to help in preparation of their defence.

Jimi Wanjigi had faced a similar charge but managed to have the criminal proceedings against him stopped after he moved High Court in Nairobi on the grounds that his court summons document was  unstamped and had been pasted on his car's windscreen. 

That was after he refused to open his car's doors to police who had blocked at Museum Hill, Nairobi, last week.

In the case, Justice George Odunga ruled that Jimi’s prosecution amounted to abuse of office.