Judge seeks details of Kirima wealth

The family of the late tycoon Gerishon Kirima was on Thursday ordered to draw an inventory of all the estate’s assets and liabilities.

Justice Isaac Lenaola, who midwifed a deal that settled the multi-billion shillings estate row between Mr Kirima’s sons and daughters and their stepmother, Mrs Terresia Wairimu said: “I want both parties to make a report of the properties that they know of or think their late father owned all over Kenya so that as the distribution of these properties starts.”

After that, the parties should sit and scrutinise them to deal with any new disagreements that may arise, the judge added.

He further directed that the sons and daughters and their stepmother give submissions and certified documents of all properties within 14 days.

Justice Lenaola said unless he knew the extent and content of the assets and liabilities, he would not allocate any property to any family members.

On Thursday, the family members sought the court’s intervention in securing the renewal of leases for all assets in Nairobi.

Ms Anne Kirima, a daughter of the late tycoon, urged the court to grant orders extending the leases of 20 properties in Nairobi so that the family could secure them from “those purporting to be managing them.”

Mr Wanjau Kirima, the late politician’s son, said the administrators of the estate were not paying land rents on time.

“This has prompted the Kenya Revenue Authority to take it upon itself to charge me over rent arrears and even putting my name in the tax defaulters’ list,” Mr Kirima claimed in court.

He pleaded with the court to restrain Kenya Revenue Authority from freezing his bank account over the unpaid arrears as, according to the directive of the court, the arrears are to be paid by the estate administrators and not him.

CONCLUDE DISTRIBUTION

The family of the late tycoon reached a deal on how to share his vast estate on October 30 2013, ending a three year succession battle that had raged in Nairobi and London.

Justice Lenaola in his remarks at the conclusion of the deal last year said that the administrators of the estate would move with haste and conclude the distribution of the properties.

“I am happy that we have finally made headway in distributing the property. I want to believe that the late Mzee (referring to the late Kirima) can now rest in peace,” Mr Justice Lenaola told the assembled family members at the time.