Disputed Inheritance: Man Disowns Biological Father in Eldoret Court Battle
In a surprising turn of events at the Eldoret Court, a man caused a stir by publicly disowning his biological father during a contentious legal battle over the inheritance of a vast estate valued at over Sh500 million, left behind by the late Kireger Kutto, a prominent trader from Uasin Gishu.
The late Kutto had heavily invested in dairy and cereal farming, leaving behind four widows and 27 children, as revealed in proceedings at the Land and Environment Court in Eldoret.
Mzee Kutto was the owner of extensive land holdings and valuable plots in Burnt Forest, Ziwa, and Sergoit areas of Uasin Gishu County.
Jonah Rutto, who identified Philip Kutto as his brother rather than his father, accused him of marginalizing him in the distribution of the substantial estate left behind by their late relative.
Mr. Kutto and his younger brother Daniel Kiplagat had been appointed administrators to oversee the management of the deceased’s sizable estate, who had passed away intestate nearly two decades prior.
In court documents presented before Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Eldoret High Court, Mr. Rutto, along with Anne Chepkorir, laid claim to 80 acres of land as part of the deceased’s estate, asserting his entitlement as a child cared for by the deceased under Nandi customary law through the deceased’s second wife Rebecca.
Rutto further alleged that the second widow, Rebecca, had not borne any children of her own, being barren and that the deceased had four wives named Sarah, Rebecca, Mary, and Esther.
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He contended that his father had passed away before transferring the designated land portion to him, and criticized the estate administrators for allegedly withholding crucial information from the court to disinherit them unjustly.
Mr. Rutto emphasized the necessity of issuing appropriate orders to safeguard their rightful share of livelihood and investment.
However, in response, Mr. Kutto rebutted the claims, asserting that Jonah Rutto was never recognized as a child of the late Kireger Kutto, whether by adoption or biology, as asserted in his court submission.
According to Mr. Kutto, neither Jonah nor Anne were legitimate beneficiaries or dependents of the deceased and thus had no legal claim to any portion of the estate.
He maintained that Jonah was never formally adopted by the deceased and that he raised him until adulthood. Regarding Anne, Mr. Kutto stated that she was unknown to him and the wider family of the late Kireger Kutto.
Mr. Kutto clarified that Rebecca, the second widow, was his stepmother who had only one child, Sarah Chemeli, and refuted any association of Jonah and Chepkorir as her children.
The court is set to provide further guidance on the case on May 21st.
Disputed Inheritance: Man Disowns Biological Father in Eldoret Court Battle