An Eldoret-based billionaire is locked in a vicious legal battle with his two grandsons who have accused him of locking them from their deceased father’s share of the vast wealth.
The succession matter which is being presided over by Justice Stephen Githinji at the High Court in Eldoret is pitting the billionaire Mzee David Mburu “Rugendo”, a father of eight children against his grandsons, Kevin Wakaimba and Ivan Wakaimba.
Mzee Mburu’s vast empire which is estimated to be worth more than Sh 7 billion is spread in Eldoret, Nakuru, and Nairobi and it includes several flats, business premises, hundreds of acres of land in Rift Valley, and developed prime plots in major towns across the country.
Besides the assets, Mburu also owns a Jade Collection business that has branches spread in Eldoret, Kisumu, Nakuru and Nairobi counties.
Kevin and Ivan want the court to compel their grandfather to include them in the share of their late father’s empire so that they can be able to use part of the wealth to complete their university and college studies.
Kevin who was pursuing a degree course in Film production at one of the universities in South Africa was forced to terminate his studies last year due to lack of fees while his young brother who was training as a pilot in Malindi was sent home after he failed to raise the fees at the aviation school.
The duo claims that their grandfather started distancing from them after their father, Sammy Wakaimba passed away 31 years ago following a fatal road accident that he was involved in at Moi’s bridge township along the busy Eldoret-Kitale highway.
The two who were still young when their father died at 37, claim that their grandfather went ahead and lodged an insurance claim through which he obtained money after telling the court that the deceased left no beneficiary behind.
He did this despite knowing that his deceased son left behind a wife, Rose, and two sons’ Kevin and Ivan, who are now grownups.
Through their lawyer, Angu Kiptigin, the two argued that it was unfair for their grandfather to exclude them from the administration of their late father’s estate, terming his action as fraud.
The two sons further argued that their grandfather’s decision to completely lock them out of their father’s share of the vast wealth estimated at millions of shillings has forced them to drop out of their respective university and college.
They have also faulted him for evicting them from their late father’s multi-million 100-acre flower farm in the outskirts of Eldoret town where he was buried 31 years ago before selling it off including the grave and pocketed the proceeds.
“We are the only two sons of the late Sammy Wakaimba who died in a fatal road accident in 1990 in Moi’s bridge along Eldoret-Kitale road,” said Kevin.
The two sons say that they have now been left homeless since their grandfather disposed off the property which they have been calling home since childhood without giving them an alternative place to stay.
They state that they were the sole dependent of the estate of their deceased father and that Mburu who is the father of the deceased is not a dependent of the estate.
Justice Githinji was prompted to adjourn the hearing of the succession case after Mburu, through his lawyer Richard Warigi said that he will not be able to proceed with the succession matter after contracting Covid-19.
The judge ruled that the case will come up for further hearing on July 19th.
Huyo Mzee anaitwa David Mburu “Rugendo” sio Samuel Mburu.
Thanks J.Omolo for the correction.