Woman in tycoon's succession case forged birth certificates, court told

A woman claiming to be one of the widows of businessman Washington Olweny forged birth certificates of her four children, a court was told.

An official from the Civil Registry Atieno said Norah Atieno registered the children twice.

According to Serah Kitiyi, one entry shows the father of one of the daughters Irene Awuor, born on February 23, 1986, is George Odhiambo while another indicates it is Olweny.

“The genuine certificate is the one bearing Odhiambo’s name as Owuor’s father. The other one is not genuine,” she told Justice Samwel Mohochi in the battle for Olweny’s estate estimated to be worth over Sh200 million.

Beatrice Akinyi, born on January 6, 1982, was on March 24, 1992, registered as a daughter of Odhiambo. “The same birth was captured on November 12, 1999, showing Olweny was her father. The genuine certificate is the one captured immediately after her birth in 1992,” testified Kitiyi.

The birth of Atieno’s third daughter Doreen Linda Onyango, on August 11, 1992, was registered on September 25, 1992 with the father identified as Odhiambo. But she was again listed as Lydia Anyango and her father named as Olweny.

“Another child, John Kevin Odhiambo was born in Nakuru on November 9, 1999 and in the birth certificate Atieno’s registered age was 39. His father is registered as Olweny,” she testified.

However, she said that Odhiambo’s name is captured in a Nairobi record, which shows he was born on September 12, 1999 and Atieno’s age was listed as 38.

“Olweny never appended his thumbprint for the registration but I cannot say for certain that he did not participate in the process,” she said.

Norah Atieno is fighting Phelesiah Akoth and Ann Wanjiru for control of the property of the late Olweny, former director of Evans Sunrise Hospital.

Akoth, the first wife, wants Atieno and Wanjiru blocked from the estate, insisting that they were never married to Olweny.

However, Atieno and Wanjiru have produced evidence, including photographs and joint bank accounts, as proof of marriage to the surveyor.

The hearing will continue on February 20, next year.