This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
Published on May 11, 2020, a court decision has bequeathed the grandchildren their parents' share of the estate, valued at billions of shillings.
Justice Agrrey Muchelule ruled that all of Koinange's 10 children and two surviving widows had an equal share to his properties. Where the beneficiaries had passed on, their children would inherit their portion of the wealth.
Three of the ten children have died, leaving behind four grandchildren who will inherit their shares. The grandchildren are the children of Koinange's late daughters Mary Wambui, Elizabeth Waruinu, and Florence Wanjiku.
They will first get close to Sh800 million each from the sale of Koinange's properties in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Narok, and Kiambu. They will also benefit from shares in several companies, worth billions of shillings, which the judge ordered should be sold and the money shared equally among the beneficiaries.
The family's biggest fight was for the 246-acres Closeburn Estate in Runda valued at Sh20 billion. The judge also gave the grandchildren a share, which will see them get a combined total of 54-acres from Closeburn Estate.
They will also get 278-acres each from their grandfather's expansive farm in Narok, 42-acres from Ehothia Farm, and 13 acres each from another farm in Kiambu.
“The children of the deceased have equal worth, irrespective of their sex or marital status. Although some children appeared to indicate they are entitled to more benefit from the estate than others, the constitution entitles everyone to equal treatment,” ruled the judge.
Justice Muchelule noted that the battle could not have taken that long if the family agreed from the onset, when the former minister died in 1981.
