Thirty-one children of former MP William Murgor have failed to agree on how to share his vast estate valued at more than Sh2 billion.
The late Murgor served as MP for Kerio Central before he died 10 years ago. He was buried at his Kapkoi home in Elgeyo Marakwet county. He left behind 35 children, among them 10 boys.
He had five wives, namely Soti (five children, three of whom are deceased), Rosa Kimoi (nine children), Rosaline (six children), Anne (eight children, but one deceased) and Philomena (one child). He also had six other children.
The High Court in Eldoret had given his family 60 days to settle their dispute out of court. The children had to negotiate through the court annexation mediation system, but the talks have collapsed and the matter will now be handled by the court.
The mediation was chaired by lawyer Kadina Robert who has already reported back to the court.
The children include current Keiyo North MP James Murgor. They had held several meetings at the High Court and indicated that there was progress in efforts to resolve the dispute. However, at the last minute on Friday, they rejected the talks.
Justice Hellen Omondi will now proceed and preside over the succession case. “I direct that the matter be heard on November 8 and mentioned on October 9,” she said on Friday.
She had advised the family to settle the matter out of court. “Try an out-of-court settlement because it will help to bring long-standing harmony in the family rather than a court decision,” she said.
The late MP’s daughters, through lawyer Philip Murgor who is also their first cousin, filed a suit at the High Court in Eldoret protesting that they had been sidelined in the sharing of the wealth.
Some daughters argued the administrator of the estate had left out some family members. In a suit filed by Enid on behalf of her siblings, they have accused MP James of being biased against his stepsisters and brothers in the sharing of the estate.
Enid, in court documents, says the wealth was distributed in total disregard for Keiyo customary laws, which require that all family members are considered.
“He favoured his own family to the extreme detriment of other households, yet, as siblings, we are all entitled to get a share of the property,” she says.
Enid lives in the United States. Twice this year, she has flown back into the country for the hearings.
“The distribution does not provide adequately for all known beneficiaries and, in particular, has left out two sons of the deceased, namely Ambrose Murgor and Oscah Murgor,” Enid says.
But one of the sons, Francis, told the court the distribution had been done as per the will of their father. The will has, however, been disputed in court by the daughters who claim it was not genuine.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
