Fresh twist in fight for Eldoret pastor’s Sh3 billion estate
Court orders Catholic, Anglican churches to pay widow for evicting her from land
A man claiming to be a business partner in a multi-billion estate under dispute by the children of a deceased prominent Eldoret pastor has filed a petition claiming a stake in the property.
This move by John Macharia has introduced a new twist in the ongoing court battle over Pastor Edward Limo’s Sh3 billion estate by his children.
Through an affidavit, Mr Macharia claims that he was a business partner with the deceased in one of the high-end private learning institutions constructed on a section of his vast land, located on the outskirts of Eldoret Town, hence deserving a share of the estate.
Mzee Limo was a prominent personality and close friend to the late former President Daniel arap Moi. He died on December 13, 2017, at an Eldoret hospital while receiving treatment.
His estate, estimated to be worth more than Sh3 billion, includes the African Inland Church (AIC), Kao la Amani Church, and Kao la Amani College.
The land, on which the school currently stands, is part of the deceased’s more than 1,000-acre property, among other movable and immovable assets that are at the centre of a legal succession case in the court.
The disputed land hosts a private hospital, a dairy cows’ project, maize and wheat crops, and Concord Boys and Concord Girls Secondary schools, among other assets.
Mr Macharia wants administrators of the late Limo’s estate to compensate him to the tune of Sh100 million for the investment he put into the construction of Concord Boys School 20 years ago.
Through his lawyer, Rioba Omboto, he agreed with the late Limo to construct Concord Boys School on an 18-acre parcel of land over three decades ago. He claimed to have injected Sh50 million as capital in the construction of the school, whose assets include a school bus, van, and laboratory equipment.
“The late Limo and I entered into a partnership where it was agreed that he was to alienate 18 acres of land for the school, and I was to source for funds towards the construction of the school premises. I was never an employee of Edward Limo as asserted by one of his sons, Benjamin Limo,” he told the court.
He told Eldoret High Court Presiding Judge, Reuben Nyakundi, that he was fully involved in the management and running of the school, including making purchases, paying suppliers and salaries for teaching and non-teaching staff, and also liaising with the Ministry of Education.
This was after he resigned from the Teachers Service Commission where he was a teacher at Musa Gitau High School in Murang’a County six years ago.
The complexities surrounding the distribution of the late Limo’s estate escalated last week when his son-in-law, a former Kenya envoy to Zambia, joined the list of those claiming a share of his empire.
Ambassador Kipyego Cheluget claimed that he has 20 percent shares in Concord Girls School, which was also constructed by the deceased and forms part of the assets that he left behind.
The ex-envoy is married to one of the late Limo’s daughters, Ruth Jeruto, and they own a 60-acre parcel of land, which is part of the 1,000-acre property belonging to the deceased.
In the emerging twist, Mr Macharia claimed the late Limo gave him 30 percent shares in the school, while 70 percent shares were to be distributed among his 10 children., six of whom have since died.
He proposed that administrators hive off eight acres of the land for him, out of what was set aside for the school measuring 18 acres if they cannot give him the amount demanded as compensation.
In their rejoinder, the surviving children of the deceased oppose Mr Macharia’s demands.
Led by Benjamin Limo, they have vehemently dismissed as lies claims by Mr Macharia that he was in joint partnership with their father in the running and management of the private school before his death.
They claimed that Mr Macharia was an employee of the school, stating that he should not get the slightest share of the property, and argued that he did not contribute anything towards the construction of the institution.
“John Macharia was employed as the principal of Concord Boys School and was never our late father’s partner as he claims to be, he does not have any partnership deed,” said Benjamin.
He said Mr Macharia withdrew an unknown amount of money from the school bank account four days after the death of his father, which he has failed to account for to date.
Benjamin said their father was endowed with financial resources, which he used to construct the said school single-handedly, contrary to claims by Mr Macharia that he injected Sh50 million capital in the school project.
“As far as we are concerned, Macharia does not deserve to benefit from any of our father’s estates since he did not contribute to the construction of the learning institution as he claims to,” added Benjamin.
The hearing will continue on June 12.
