Court directs family of former Rongai MP to pick four administrators to manage estate

Hon. Willy Kiprop Komen of Menengai West, Rongai Nakuru, which occurred on 22nd June, 2019. He was formerly Member of Parliament for Molo, Nakuru Town and Rongai constituencies between the years 1969 – 1997 [File]

The High Court has directed the family of the late William Komen, a former Rongai MP, to pick four of his children to manage his 2,600-acre property in Njoro sub-county.

The family had proposed nine of 11 children to be administrators.

On Monday, lawyers Karanja Mbugua, Waiganjo Maina, Andrew Geke and Peninah Gitei told Justice Teresia Matheka that nine children qualify to be administrators.

Waiganjo said that after months of negotiations, the family proposed the nine from four families of the late politician.

However, Justice Matheka said that a maximum of four administrators are required to manage the estate.

“Parties are ordered to sit down and decide on a minimum of one and a maximum of four managers out of the nine proposed administrators before the next mention date,” ruled Matheka.

She gave the lawyers 14 days to discuss and agree. 

Since Komen died on June 22, 2019, aged 77, his children have failed to agree on how to distribute his estate.

Lawyers representing them have been postponing the case since 2019 with the excuse that they needed more time to agree on administrators.

Mr Mbugua told the court to expedite the case to avoid further wasting of the property.

“Nothing has been going on within the property and it is disheartening, bearing in mind the beneficiaries want their share of the land to start developing,” said Mbugua.

Justice Matheka noted that it is disagreement on administrators that had delayed the case.

In May, lawyers Geke and Gatei had informed court that while some of the children want equal share of the property, others want the estate to be distributed as per their father’s will.

Komen was a Kenyan politician who served as an MP for Rongai, Nakuru Town and the former Nakuru West constituency.

He is the son of former politician Kibowen Komen, who died on February 15, 1997.

Komen's children also inherited a succession case from their late father who had been battling his mother and siblings over properties since 1997.

The properties include 1,375 acres in Njoro, Menengai farm measuring 2,619 acres, plots in Seguton, Kabarnet in Baringo County.

Kibowen also owned a 100-acre land in Keringet farm plus shares at Nairobi Stock Exchange and African Breweries.