Court asks late MP’s family to pick fewer managers for disputed property
Lawyers for the William Komen family have postponed the case since 2019, saying they needed more time to decide.
The High Court in Nakuru has directed the family of the late William Komen, former Rongai MP, to pick only four children out of 11 to be administrators of his 2,600-acre property in Njoro.
The family had selected nine as administrators of the vast property belonging to Komen, who died on June 22, 2019. Since his death, his children have failed to agree on how to distribute his wealth among themselves.
On Monday, family lawyers Karanja Mbugua, Waiganjo Mwangi, Andrew Geke and Peninah Gitei told Justice Teresia Matheka that the family had settled on nine children to be administrators of the estate.
They told the court that the decision followed months of negotiations. The nine children are from four families of the polygamous politician.
However, Justice Matheka said that a maximum of four administrators are required by the court.
“Parties are ordered to sit down again and decide on a minimum of one and a maximum of four managers out of the proposed nine administrators before the next mention date,” ruled Justice Matheka.
She gave the lawyers and the family 14 days to select the administrators.
Lawyers for the family have postponed the case since 2019, saying they needed more time to decide.
“Your honour, since Komen’s demise, the property has been lying idle, with nobody to care for it. We need to settle on administrators,” Mr Mwangi told the court.
Mr Karanja told the court that it was bound to ensure that the case is expedited to avoid mismanagement of the property.
“Nothing has been going on within the property and it is disheartening, bearing in mind the beneficiaries want their share of the land to start developing individually,” said Mr Karanja.
However, Justice Matheka noted that the disagreement on choosing administrators has delayed the case further.
In May, Mr Geke and Ms Gatei informed the court that while some of the children want an equal share of the property others want it distributed per their father’s will.
Komen served as Rongai MP from 1992 until 1997. He was first elected MP aged 24 in 1969 for the Nakuru West seat. He lost the seat in the 1974 General Election but he won a by-election for the Nakuru Town seat, which he held until the 1979 election before he was elected again in 1992
