The body of Luka Korir, the son of an Eldoret tycoon, has lain at the Iten County Referral Hospital mortuary for nine months as his family remains locked in a bitter feud over where he should be buried.
Korir, who died on January 14 this year, was the son of the Francis Kimoso (deceased), a landowner with hundreds of acres spread across Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
But what should have been a solemn farewell has turned into
courtroom drama, as Kimoso’s children battle over land rights, inheritance and
the final resting place of their brother.
On Wednesday, during a tense hearing before Justice Reuben
Nyakundi, the tycoon’s eldest son, Morris Kimoso, denied blocking the burial.
He accused some of his siblings of attempting to inter Korir
on land he insists was legally bequeathed to him through their father’s Will.
“I am not against my brother being buried,” Morris
testified. “But it cannot be on my land. There is other family land where the
burial can be done.”
But his sister, Margaret Kimoso, painted a different
picture. She told the court that Korir had lived with his family for more than
a decade on the disputed parcel and deserved to be laid to rest there. She
accused Morris of obtaining a court order to stop the burial.
“Your honour, our elder brother Morris is lying to you in
broad daylight,” she said. “He is the one who went to court and blocked us from
giving Korir a decent burial.”
The dispute has left Korir’s body in the morgue, while the
siblings drag each other through succession battles over their father’s estate,
valued at more than Sh1.5 billion.
The property includes hundreds of acres of prime farmland,
investments in multiple companies and several bank accounts.
Justice Nyakundi expressed frustration over the stalemate.
“Morris, tell us what is really difficult in having the deceased laid to rest,
so that you can move on with other issues concerning the estate,” he said.
The judge advised the family to resolve the burial before
delving into succession matters. “Let the lawyers for all parties file their
submissions so that we can reach a decision,” he ruled, setting October 23,
2025, as the next mention date.
Thirteen years after Francis Kimoso’s death, the scars of
inheritance wrangles continue to haunt his family. And until the courts make a
ruling, Korir’s body remains in a morgue, waiting for a grave he can finally
call his own.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The case of Luka Korir highlights how inheritance wrangles can strip away dignity from the dead and peace from the living. Nine months on, his body still lies in a morgue as siblings trade accusations in court, unable to agree on his final resting place. What began as a burial dispute has exposed deeper fractures over a Sh1.5 billion estate, echoing Kenya’s long history of protracted succession battles. The court’s frustration mirrors public sentiment: the dead deserve rest, yet family greed and mistrust keep Korir in limbo. His story is a chilling reminder of how wealth can tear families apart.
