- Margaret Chweya is contesting the exclusion of herself and her three children from the list of beneficiaries of Nyachae Sh2 billion estate.
- She claims to have been customarily married to Nyachae in 1973 and that they had three children together.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY
A woman's fight for a share of former Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae's estate on Tuesday took a new twist after her daughter disowned her claims that she was fathered by the deceased Kisii politician.
Margaret Chweya is contesting the exclusion of herself and her three children from the list of beneficiaries of Nyachae Sh2 billion estate.
She claims to have been customarily married to Nyachae in 1973 and that they had three children together—Chweya Rodney David, John Paul Chweya and Patricia Chweya.
However, during the hearing of the case Tuesday, Patricia denounced the name Chweya saying such a person doesn't exist, and that her real name is Patricia Moraa Odero.
She said she was fathered by a man called George Gordon Odero and that DNA tests have since confirmed the same.
Her mother (Margaret) instituted the suit which is before High Court judge Eric Ogola in 2022. She said she was acting on her behalf and that of her three children.
But Patricia said she did not approve of the move and that she never signed any documents for the suit.
"Yes, she approached me on March 2, 2022 about what she wanted to do but I didn't give my authority to institute this suit. She asked for my signature but I refused and told her I don't feel comfortable," she said.
She said the mother later assured her that she wouldn't be included in the case only for her to learn later about her inclusion as an applicant.
"She gave me the assurance after I had protested 23 times against my inclusion in this case. That is because I know who my father is and that is not Nyachae," Patricia said.
Patricia's name appears as the fourth applicant in the matter where she is referred to as Patricia Moraa Chweya Nyachae. She however told the court that her name is Patricia Moraa Odero and that the said Patricia Chweya does not exist.
The daughter said she was born on December 19, 1987 at a hospital in California USA with birth documents showing Margaret Chweya as her mother and George Odero as the father.
The Nyachae family through the executors of the patriarch's Sh2 billion estate—Charles Nyachae, Angela Nyachae and Eric Nyachae—have denied any connection between the family and Chweya and her children.
Their lawyer George Muchiri had in his opening remarks told the court that they would prove through testimonies that Margaret was married to four different men at different times and never was she married to Nyachae.
The three executors commissioned a probe to establish Chweya's true identity, her marital history and her family situation, including her marriages, children and their respective timelines.
That probe found that Chweya was married to some four men, two in Kenya and another two in the US. The names of the men were given as Jacob Machuki Mokaya and Michael Pondo Migowa both of whom live in Kenya and George Gordon Odero and James Leroy Totten.
Margaret during her testimony in July last year denied having been married to the men but admitted there was a 'marriage of convenience' with Totten.
But Patricia told the court her mother was married to Odero and that she grew up knowing him as her father.
"From the time I was two-years-old, I knew him as my father. I don't know about their marriage certificate but they were married," Patricia said.
During cross-examination, lawyer Danstan Omari asked Patricia why she was bitter with her mother.
"I am not. I want her to proceed with her case and wish her all the best, but I want myself removed from this matter because I have nothing to do with it," she said.
Patricia however admitted that her mother had sometimes acted not in the best interest of her children.
"For example, she sought custody for me when I was young yet she knew she had no capacity to take care of me. That was contrary to my best interest," she said.
That was in reference to custody rights which were later awarded to Odero but allowed visitations of the child by the other.
Patricia said it is Odero who brought her up even though her mother "did her best".
She told the court she isn't close with her mother and that they don't even talk on WhatsApp or other social media platforms.
Patricia is not close with her step brothers Rodney and John Paul either.
"I'm just close with my father and my other step brothers," she said.
Asked why there was bitterness in the family, Patricia alluded to her marriage saying her mother did not approve of her husband.
The mother and daughter last visited each other in 2018 but met physically in 2022 for the last time.
"I still love her no matter how distant we are and I even pray for her but that doesn't mean I support everything she does. I'm not bitter and there is no vendetta in this," Patricia said when she gave her testimony virtually from the US.
Hearing continues.