The High Court in Eldoret has warned the fourth widow of late businessman Jackson Kibor against meddling with the deceased's multi-billion-shilling estate.
During the status conference, Justice Reuben Nyakundi asked Eunitah Kibor not to abuse powers bestowed on her as executor of her husband's contentious Will to interfere with the vast estate. The judge was responding to allegations of contempt of court order preventing interference of the estate until the succession case is heard and determined.
According to a section of the family, Eunitah is said to have been selling out some properties of the deceased.
"This court asks all beneficiaries to preserve the sanctity of the vast estate until everyone gets their share. Remember this court is watching, and the law is on course. The estate is yet to be distributed, and no beneficiary is better than the other, this is what the law requires," the judge said.
Justice Nyakundi further told the widow she should be in the forefront upholding the law and keeping the family together.
"Do not do anything that might prejudice other family members. At the end of this case, this court wants you all to still be one united family," Justice Nyakundi advised.
The Kibor family has been embroiled in a fierce battle to inherit the multi-billion-shilling property he left since May last year, about five months after the prominent farmer's death. The succession case is pitting the children of the late farmer against his fourth wife, Eunitah.
The contention is on a will tabled in court by Eunitah and an advocate, Jonah Korir, claiming to bear Kibor's wishes on sharing of his property.
However, the other widows, Josephina and Naomi Kibor as well as their children have opposed the purported will, dismissing it as forgery.
Lawyer Ken Maiyo, representing some objectors including late Kibor's eldest son Philip, told the court his clients wanted the will examined by a forensic document examiner.
"We want the purported signature of the deceased examined and a report made which will form part of our evidence during hearing of the case," Maiyo stated.
In her court papers, Eunitah, 44, said her husband had made a written will on February 27, 2021, a year before his death.
"I am the sole surviving spouse of the deceased and therefore the first in order of preference to be appointed and issue the grant of letters of administration. The estate could waste away since the deceased's land over 2,000 acres has outsiders who are starting to encroach," said Eunitah in her petition. [Lynn Kolongei]
Eunitah further accused her step-children of meddling with the estate and evicting her from her matrimonial home and lands.
