How Peter Gachuhi and Kaplan & Stratton Attempted the Capture of Late James Boro Karugu Estate Through Forged Documents

James Boro Karugu spent decades at the pinnacle of Kenya's legal profession. As a former Attorney General, he understood the law better than most. Yet shortly after his death in November 2022, a crude and forensically discredited Will suddenly surfaced—supposedly authored by the man himself. What followed was not a family disagreement. It was a calculated scheme to capture the late James Boro Karugu's estate, orchestrated by a network of lawyers, company secretaries, and religious figures who chose escalation over accountability when forensic evidence exposed the forgery. The Capture of late James Boro Karugu's estate exposes deep legal manipulation, raising urgent questions about accountability, justice, and the integrity of Kenya’s judicial system The Attempted Capture of Late James Boro Karugu Estate—A Scheme Built on Forged Documents and Deliberate Deception James Boro Karugu was not a careless man. As a seasoned legal practitioner and former Attorney General, he knew precisely how testamentary documents should be prepared, signed, and safeguarded. That is what makes what happened after his death so striking—and so deeply suspicious.

Within weeks of his passing, Jane Kabiu, a former company secretary with deep access to his business affairs, claimed custody of a purported Will dated April 2, 2014, and a related Trust Deed. She did not obtain these documents from the deceased's known legal advisors. No verifiable chain of custody existed. Instead, she theatrically unveiled them at a staged handover meeting in Kiambu, where a pre-arranged cast of actors stood waiting. How the Conspirators Assembled the Scheme and Positioned Themselves as Executors At that Kiambu meeting, Peter Gachuhi, Kimani Richu, and Reverend Joshua Kimani presented themselves as executors of the estate. Eric Mwaura Karugu, the deceased's son, aligned himself with the group. Behind them, Fred Ojiambo and the institutional machinery of Kaplan & Stratton—one of Kenya's most established law firms—provided critical backing.

This was not the deceased's natural circle of trusted advisors. These actors had assembled a pre-arranged network with a single common objective—to seize control of the estate before anyone could ask difficult questions.

The inconsistencies surfaced immediately. The circumstances surrounding the will's discovery were unsupported and suspicious. The witnesses named in the document maintained close links to the very people promoting it. Most critically, Peter Gachuhi and Kaplan & Stratton kept physical control of the original Will, never allowing it to be independently secured or verified.

Jane Kabiu introduced the documents and claimed custody. Peter Gachuhi pushed their validity aggressively. Kaplan & Stratton, with Fred Ojiambo operating as a senior figure, provided the institutional weight that gave the scheme a dangerous veneer of professional legitimacy. Kimani Richu and Joshua Kimani reinforced the executor narrative and anchored the operation firmly within the court process. How Forensic Evidence Exposed the Forgery—and Why the Conspirators Escalated Anyway In June 2023, the scheme began to collapse. A DCI investigation established definitively that the signature on the Will did not belong to James Boro Karugu. This was not a disputed opinion or a preliminary finding—investigators had produced conclusive forensic evidence of forgery.

At that moment, Peter Gachuhi, Fred Ojiambo, and their associates faced a clear and unambiguous choice. They could withdraw the forged document and face the legal consequences. Instead, they chose to escalate.

In early July 2023, immediately after receiving the forensic findings, Peter Gachuhi, Eliud Gatambia, and Joshua Kimani filed a Petition for Grant of Probate. This was a calculated legal maneuver. They designed it to wrap a forged instrument in judicial legitimacy and drag the matter away from criminal investigation into the slower, murkier terrain of succession litigation.…

James Boro Karugu spent decades at the pinnacle of Kenya's legal profession. As a former Attorney General, he understood the law better than most. Yet shortly after his death in November 2022, a crude and forensically discredited Will suddenly surfaced—supposedly authored by the man himself. What followed was not a family disagreement. It was a calculated scheme to capture the late James Boro Karugu's estate, orchestrated by a network of lawyers, company secretaries, and religious figures who chose escalation over accountability when forensic evidence exposed the forgery. The Capture of late James Boro Karugu's estate exposes deep legal manipulation, raising urgent questions about accountability, justice, and the integrity of Kenya’s judicial system The Attempted Capture of Late James Boro Karugu Estate—A Scheme Built on Forged Documents and Deliberate Deception James Boro Karugu was not a careless man. As a seasoned legal practitioner and former Attorney General, he knew precisely how testamentary documents should be prepared, signed, and safeguarded. That is what makes what happened after his death so striking—and so deeply suspicious.

Within weeks of his passing, Jane Kabiu, a former company secretary with deep access to his business affairs, claimed custody of a purported Will dated April 2, 2014, and a related Trust Deed. She did not obtain these documents from the deceased's known legal advisors. No verifiable chain of custody existed. Instead, she theatrically unveiled them at a staged handover meeting in Kiambu, where a pre-arranged cast of actors stood waiting. How the Conspirators Assembled the Scheme and Positioned Themselves as Executors At that Kiambu meeting, Peter Gachuhi, Kimani Richu, and Reverend Joshua Kimani presented themselves as executors of the estate. Eric Mwaura Karugu, the deceased's son, aligned himself with the group. Behind them, Fred Ojiambo and the institutional machinery of Kaplan & Stratton—one of Kenya's most established law firms—provided critical backing.

This was not the deceased's natural circle of trusted advisors. These actors had assembled a pre-arranged network with a single common objective—to seize control of the estate before anyone could ask difficult questions.

The inconsistencies surfaced immediately. The circumstances surrounding the will's discovery were unsupported and suspicious. The witnesses named in the document maintained close links to the very people promoting it. Most critically, Peter Gachuhi and Kaplan & Stratton kept physical control of the original Will, never allowing it to be independently secured or verified.

Jane Kabiu introduced the documents and claimed custody. Peter Gachuhi pushed their validity aggressively. Kaplan & Stratton, with Fred Ojiambo operating as a senior figure, provided the institutional weight that gave the scheme a dangerous veneer of professional legitimacy. Kimani Richu and Joshua Kimani reinforced the executor narrative and anchored the operation firmly within the court process. How Forensic Evidence Exposed the Forgery—and Why the Conspirators Escalated Anyway In June 2023, the scheme began to collapse. A DCI investigation established definitively that the signature on the Will did not belong to James Boro Karugu. This was not a disputed opinion or a preliminary finding—investigators had produced conclusive forensic evidence of forgery.

At that moment, Peter Gachuhi, Fred Ojiambo, and their associates faced a clear and unambiguous choice. They could withdraw the forged document and face the legal consequences. Instead, they chose to escalate.

In early July 2023, immediately after receiving the forensic findings, Peter Gachuhi, Eliud Gatambia, and Joshua Kimani filed a Petition for Grant of Probate. This was a calculated legal maneuver. They designed it to wrap a forged instrument in judicial legitimacy and drag the matter away from criminal investigation into the slower, murkier terrain of succession litigation.…