MP Murgor loses control of Sh2 billion family estate
The High Court in Eldoret has partially resolved a 24-year legal battle over the administration of the Sh2 billion estate of former Keiyo North MP William Murgor.
In a lengthy decision made by Justice Hellen Omondi, Murgor’s firstborn son, James Murgor, who is now the area MP, was dealt a major blow when the court stopped him from disinheriting his siblings until the court gives the final breakdown of the distribution of the wealth.
Justice Omondi also restrained James, with his sister Chemutai Murgor, from disinheriting their siblings on grounds that they were not the biological children of the late MP.
The judge also reverted to the estate a Sh200 million plot in Eldoret which the MP had claimed was his.
“James Murgor and Chemutai Murgor be restrained from intermeddling or otherwise managing the property of the estate, specifically plot number Eldoret/Municipality/Block 4/84, pending final distribution of the estate,” justice Omondi ordered.
Five wives
The court also issued orders that James and Chemutai pay all rent and other income derived from the plot, including the rent paid by Caltex Oil Kenya Ltd and Total Kenya Ltd, for the last 20 years to the court.
Justice Omondi further issued orders removing all the administrators of the deceased’s estate who were appointed by the MP and directed that each of the late MP’s four widows, out of the five, nominate one representative for appointment as administrator in the multi-billion estate.
“That pending the final distribution of the estate of the deceased, the households of Mrs Soti Murgor, Mrs Rosa Kimoi Murgor, Mrs Anna Kimoi Murgor and Mrs Philomena Kimoi Murgor each nominate one representative for appointment as an administrator of the estate,” the judge ordered.
The court further restrained James, and his brother Francis Murgor and sister Chemutai, who had been appointed as administrators from interfering in anyway or exercising any powers over the estate of their late father, pending the submissions of the names of four proposed administrators.
Another order was also issued compelling Francis and Chemutai to provide a comprehensive financial account for the administration of the multi-billion estate from the date of their appointment as administrators to date.
“Francis and Chemutai pay into court all rental income received from the date of their appointment as administrators to the present date including cash held in the Estate’s bank accounts to facilitate distribution to the widows in keeping with their life interest in the estate of the deceased,” judge Omondi directed.
Lion’s share
Francis and Chemutai were sued by their sisters and step-siblings for allegedly failing to equitably share their father’s vast estate.
The case was filed by Enid Murgor, who lives in the United States and accused her elder brother (James) of discriminating against other siblings in distributing their father’s property.
The long-serving Kanu MP died in 2006 and his property includes agricultural land and prime plots in Iten and Eldoret, respectively.
Lawyer Philip Murgor, a cousin of James’s, represented the MP’s sisters and step-siblings in the case
They say the MP gave himself the lion’s share of the estate at the expense of the rest of the beneficiaries.
