Case Lifts Lid on Moi’s Ksh 300bn Estate Fight
A court case by a daughter-in-law of former President Daniel Arap Moi has further exposed the disputes over the former Head of
State’s Sh 300 billion estate.
The case by Milkah Faith Nyambura has brought to light the complexities surrounding the distribution of Mzee Moi’s wealth.
Nyambura is one of the widows of the late Jonathan Toroitich Moi who died of pancreatic cancer on April 20, 2019, at the age of 64, barely three weeks after being diagnosed with the disease.
Through her lawyer, Nyambura has accused the Moi family of
sidelining her children from Mzee Moi’s vast estate.
Specifically, Nyambura wants the court to order the administrator
of Moi’s vast estate to release a Sh2.5 million medical bill for an urgent surgery of her son Gift Moi, as they await the outcome of an inheritance case filed before the Milimani Law Courts.
She claims the executor and trustee of Moi’s Will, lawyer Zehrabhanu Janmohamed, has allegedly refused to cooperate and address the issue of the urgent medical bill.
Nyambura has even acquired a pay bill number through which members of the public can channel their assistance.
In another succession case, Jonathan’s eldest son Collins Kibet Toroitich Moi claims he has been denied his fair share of the estate.
Kibet and Nyambura are demanding, among other things, an accurate inventory of Moi’s assets and liabilities.
They also are demanding a revocation of the powers given to lawyer Janmohammed to manage Moi’s estate.
They have accused unnamed family members of being behind a scheme to disinherit them.
Last year, Kibet filed a case in the family division at Milimani Law Courts claiming that he was being locked out of the vast estate. He sought to have lawyer Janmohamed barred from dealing with matters of his last grandfather’s vast estate.
The Moi scion also claimed that the assets had been irregularly transferred in a scheme to disinherit him.
Kibet further said the assets were being disposed of without necessary authorization from the relevant parties.
He cited the Sh1.7 billion sale of a majority stake in Siginon Aviation, a subsidiary of Moi-family-owned Siginon Group Limited in November 2021.
He also has claimed Janmohamed is under the instructions of one of the beneficiaries, whom he did not name in court, to disinherit him.
He further said there is an alleged plan to sell a 1,000-acre piece of land believed to be in Narok County.
“The property known as Kimintet A No. 1 measuring over 1,000 acres is currently in the process of being unlawfully and secretly sold to a third party before the impugned grant of probate is confirmed by this court as required by law,” he said in court papers.
Kibet has petitioned the Nairobi Court, seeking Sh20 million to foot his bills including medical, food, clothing, education, transport expenses, and other needs.
He also asked the estate administrator to pay him another Sh10 million to enable him to start a business.
Kibet told the court that his late grandfather was worth more than Sh300 billion and that being Jonathan’s eldest son, Kibet is entitled to more than Sh5 billion.
Through lawyer Pearlyne Omamo, Kibet revealed that he was
under extreme financial distress and was living on handouts from well-wishers.
In an affidavit filed in court, Kibet, who is also embroiled in a child support case at the Nakuru law courts sought to be paid Sh 30 million, pending the outcome of an inheritance case in the same court.
He said he has three sons aged 18, 21, and 24, whose school fees he has to pay besides catering for their welfare.
Kibet further stated that his wife, Marsha Dee Amario, is officially certified as a disabled person due to debilitating seizures and that she needs special care which he is unable to provide due to financial constraints.
He also said he was not able to pay his outstanding bills and could not take care of the basic needs of his dependents.
“There is no plausible reason whatsoever for the applicant and his defendants to suffer in the manner that they are suffering when their interests have been expressly catered for in the deceased Will and the deceased estate is well and truly capable of maintaining the applicant’s needs and those of his dependents,” the affidavit filed in court reads.
Janmohamed was given the powers to manage Moi’s estate on October 9, 2020, following the former Head of State’s death on February 4, 2020.
In the Will, also filed in court, Moi shared his assets equally among his five sons, and in the case of death, as in the case of Jonathan, their children would be bequeathed.
Moi’s sons are Jonathan, Raymond Moi, John Mark, Philip Moi, and Gideon Moi.
Gideon, the chairman of the Independence party Kanu, is also the former Baringo Senator while Raymond was once the MP for the Rongai constituency in Nakuru County.
Court documents seen by the Nation show that Moi’s estate includes assets of various classes in multiple jurisdictions which include the United Kingdom, Australia, and Malawi.
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Moi’s family is arguably one of the richest in Kenya based on the business empire it has built over the years, with a net worth estimated to be more than $3 billion (about Sh310.2 billion).
This is wealth accumulated before, during, and after the former president’s 24-year rule (1978-2002), with his children, among them Gideon, expanding the family dynasty further.
Even in retirement, Kenya’s second president remained powerful with his businesses playing a major role in the economy.
According to official and non-official records, the family’s business empire spans real estate, transport, education, hotel industry, banking, aviation, manufacturing, media, agri-business, security, and construction among other sectors of the economy.
According to Africa Confidential, a fortnightly newsletter covering politics and economics in Africa, Moi’s capital is also “held in trust by relatives and friends, and in front companies in Kenya, offshore tax havens and several major international banks.”
The list of property and investments owned or co-owned by the family and its partners is endless, with former Moi’s right-hand man the late Nicholas Biwott’s family being a major investment partner.
His former private secretary Joshua Kulei is another man who has held and run Moi’s multibillion-shilling business empire for decades.
The family has more than 100 companies across different sectors, with interests in many other public and privately owned businesses locally, in Africa, and overseas.
The Mois either fully own or have shares in several banks and financial entities.
Among them are Trans-National Bank, Equatorial Bank, First American Bank, Giro Bank, Giant Forex Bureau, Equity Stock Brokers, and Sovereign Group.
The family also owns Standard Group, the parent company to Kenya Television Network (KTN), Standard Newspaper, and several radio stations, including Radio Maisha.
Other subsidiaries include Rowland Printing and Baraza Limited.
After his retirement in 2002, Mzee Moi settled at his expansive Kabarak home in Nakuru County where he was buried.
Although the late president had other homes, including the Kabarnet Gardens home in Nairobi city, he chose Kabarak.
On the farm, which is estimated to be more than 2,300 acres, stands multi-billion properties, including Kabarak Primary School, Kabarak High School, Kabarak University, Kabarak Guest House, and a church.
The former president had seven known private residences – one in Nairobi and six in the Rift Valley.
Of the seven, Kabarnet Gardens in the neighborhood of Kibera slums and Kabarak farm at Rongai are the most well-known.
The Moi family is also currently planning to construct an Sh45 billion hospital.
Case Lifts Lid on Moi’s Ksh 300bn Estate Fight
