Fai Amario's daughter, son fight over running of Sh500m winery

The late Naivasha trader Fai Amario and his wife Monique Fai during happier times in their home in Naivasha. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

The son and daughter of controversial businessman, the late Peter Njoroge alias Fai Amario are fighting over the control of his winery estimated to be worth over Sh500 million.

The Fai Amarillo Limited winery located in Naivasha is part of Amario's entire estate valued at Sh760 million.

Amario's daughter, Marsha Dee, wants her elder brother, Miki Njoroge, barred from managing the winery as he has been doing so since Amario died intestate, on May 23, 2010.

In her protest filed before Justice Samwel Mohochi, Ms Dee wants the winery's income and proceeds deposited into an estate account held in the name of all the administrators.

The administrators appointed by the court on September 23, 2010, include Dee, her brother Njoroge and her younger sister Sheena Euston.

Dee alleges that the winery has been making over Sh2 million per month and accuses Njoroge of colluding with Sheena to block her involvement in the management.

"My brother and sister took advantage of my condition (disability) to leave me out of decisions of the estate," she submits.

Dee accuses her brother of refusing to furnish her with accounts of the winery and wants the court to compel him to file a full account and inventory of all the income and liabilities.

She further wants Njoroge to include audited accounts of fixed assets, moveable assets, and industrial plots from the date of their father's death to December 31, 2022. She is adamant her brother has failed to administer their father's estate in a joint, harmonious manner.

Court records list Amario's wife Monica Wanjiru (deceased), Dee, Njoroge, Euston, Yuri Gee, and a minor as beneficiaries of the estate.

Dee says she discovered that Njoroge conspired with Euston to undermine the interests of other beneficiaries by secretly registering a new company; Wonder Water Limited.

"They did this to misuse one of the family's property and misappropriate equipment owned by our winery, without knowledge of other beneficiaries," she laments.

In response, however, Njoroge rubbishes claims by Dee. He says the winery has not been making profits as claimed. He states that he has taken responsibility for caring for Dee by depositing Sh134,000 monthly maintenance to cater for her medication and food.

"Even though the company is not making profits, I have been taking care of my sister's maintenance," he states.

He denied blocking Dee from the estate and said as soon as the court decides on the distribution, the estate will be shared and each beneficiary will benefit.

"For now administrators are tasked with caring for and managing the estate and it cannot be distributed until the court orders so," he averred. The case will be mentioned on July 21.