Ex-MP Chepkut's family in bitter tussle over assets, widow released after arrest

The family of former Ainabkoi MP the late William Chepkut is embroiled in a property dispute which has led to the arrest and brief detention of one of his widows Milkah Chepkuut.

Ainabkoi sub-county OCPD Muhanda Matete confirmed that she had been arrested and later released.

She was accused of allegedly breaking into one of the properties in dispute.

Milka has however protested over what she termed as unlawful detention at Kaptagat police station.

Milka said she was arrested yesterday (Thursday) at her matrimonial home in Uasin Gishu county.

"I was released today without being booked for court yet no explanation was given to me," Milka said

She claims that before her arrest, she had tried to access the home where she found out that it had been locked with different padlocks.

The home had been padlocked by the security guards manning the gate who stopped her from gaining access.

"I will seek to know why I was arrested violently because I was beaten up and locked up in cells", she said.

Milka says she will move to court over the arrest.

She wa arrested together with a worker at the home.

Milka has linked the arrest to a tussle over assets left by Chepkut.

Chepkut died on October 8 and left assets mostly in Nairobi and Eldoret valued at about Sh150 million

The assets include a hotel and prime plots in Eldoret, a timber treatment plant and agricultural land within Uasin Gishu. He also had several movable assets.

Milka claims that Chepkuut's brothers want to forcefully disinherit her following the death of her husband.

"They want to acquire the properties illegally and they are behind my arrest", she claimed.

However, Chepkut's brother Daniel Kipchirchir accused Milka of frustrating the former MP when he was alive and added that she had even filed a divorce case at the courts in Eldoret.

She explained that Milka was not living in the house where she was arrested and that it was under the custody of Chepkut's other brother Kiptoo who acted as a caretaker.

"She wanted to get into the house and collect some of Chepkut's clothes without the family's knowledge and that is why we called in the police," he said.

He also explained the house belonged to the family and was not her property. He said it was being used temporarily by the late Chepkut accord.

He insisted that the house belonged to the larger family and was not Chepkut's property.

Kipchirchir said on January 3, they had a family meeting to dispose of some of the deceased's personal items like clothes as required traditionally but Milka did not turn up.

Chepkut's other two widows attended

Sons of the former MP led by Nicholas Chepkut have called for an end to the row and urged President William Ruto to intervene and help settle the dispute.