The children of a prominent Marakwet farmer are embroiled in a vicious court battle over the distribution of his estate valued at nearly Ksh50 million.
The deceased, Cherono Chepkwony who died 20 years ago, left a vast estate including 113 acres of land, hundreds of cows, merino sheep and a 10 acre farm under indigenous trees that is being contested in Lands and the Environment court in Eldoret by a section of his children.
The late Chepkwony is survived by his wives, Kapon Cherono (4 children), Kopilo Cherno (5 children), Kimoi Cherono (8 children) and Parisi Cherono (4 children).
The family feud which began eight years ago pits the children of the first, third and fourth wives against the second wife whom they have accused of going against their father’s wish to share his estate equally among the widows.
The plaintiffs in a petition filed at the High Court in Eldoret have accused Kopilo Cherono, the second widow and her children of appropriating the deceased’s estate illegally and wants the court to order that the wealth be divided equally amongst the widows.
Led by the sons of the deceased from the first and third wives, Lucas Cherono and Henry Cherono, they have accused their step mother of excluding them and their mothers from the multi-million shilling estate.
They claimed that their step mother had displaced their mothers from the vast land forcing some of them to rent houses at Lelan trading centre in Marakwet West Sub County where they have been putting up in abject poverty for more than eight years.
The plaintiffs further told the High Court that other family members have relocated to Moiben Sub County in Uasin Gishu County where they are staying on a 7 acre piece of land.
They argued that the forest land which had hundreds of indigenous tree plantations worth over Ksh 10 million has all been felled down and sold by their step mother for her personal gain at the expense of the surviving three wives and children of the deceased.
In her filed objection at the same court, the second widow has dismissed all accusations leveled against her by the plaintiffs saying the property was shared according to the wish of the deceased contrary to claims that she has appropriated the same to herself and her children alone.
She claimed that the deceased did not leave a written will before he died, on how the estate should be shared amongst them.
She further averred that at no time has she ever manipulated her co-wives and their children and took over the vast estate as being alluded to by her accusers.
The case will come up for further hearing on 8th June this year.