Court annuls Gerishon Kirima wills
Gerishon Kirima's daughters Maria Kirima (left) and Ann Kirima (right) with their lawyers Fred Ojiambo (second right) and Jotham Arwa in court June 6, 2013. The court annulled two wills authored by Kirima. PAUL WAWERU
The High Court has invalidated two wills authored by former MP Gerishon Kirima.
Justice Isaac Lenaola directed the feuding family to appoint administrators to manage his vast estate.
The Kirima family is embroiled in a battle over the management of the estate estimated to be worth more than Sh700 million.
Gerishon Kirima's widow Teresia Wairimu (centre) flanked by Kirima's brother Peter Kuria Kirima (left) and their lawyer Wilfred Nyamu (right) in court June 6, 2013. The court annulled Kirima's two wills. PAUL WAWERU
At the centre of the dispute are two wills — one allegedly written while Mr Kirima was in Nairobi and the other drawn up when he was in a London hospital.
He died while undergoing treatment in South Africa in December 2010.
In November last year, lawyer Ambrose Rachier defended the contested will he drafted for the tycoon, saying it should be treated as his last wishes.
Mr Rachier told the court that it was his client’s wish to have his property divided the way he instructed him to do and that he had no control over his wishes.
“My experience as a lawyer is that a person can change his will many times, even after every minute and the last will should be treated as the genuine document,” he said.
He said that when Mr Kirima signed his last will, he was in good physical and mental health and appeared to understand the consequences of what he was doing.
