Nyong’o: Why I excluded siblings from our father’s multi-million property

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o maintains the move is not out of bad faith. [File, Standard]

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and his sister Nyagoy Nyongo have now admitted they left out some of their siblings in the list of beneficiaries of their father’s multi-million property.

The duo however has objected the inclusion of two nephews Geoffrey Omondi Nyong’o and Kenneth Odhiambo Okuthe, sons of their two deceased sisters from being made co-administrators of the estate.

On Wednesday, Nyagoy who also represented Prof Nyong’o told a Kisumu court that the omission of some of the siblings was not in bad faith and sought to explain to the court why they were left out.

She said that one of her siblings, Charles Nyong’o, disappeared in 1980 and has never returned home admitting that their other two sisters Margaret Awuor and Judith Nyong’o were also left out.

In the suit, Nyongo’s nephews Odhiambo and Omondi, eldest sons of Awuor and Judith want their families to be represented in the list of beneficiaries of the expansive estate.

They have argued that other members of the family including those that are deceased sometimes back were listed in the list of beneficiaries but their mothers were left out.

But Nyagoy argued that even though Nyong'o took care of the two after the death of their parents, they were not beneficiaries of the governor's father’s property.

“Nyongo has six children and Omondi was treated like one of them,” said Nyongo’s sister.

She claimed that Odhiambo’s name was not included because he was not considered as part of the family because he was away from home most of the time.

Nyagoy admitted that a grant that was issued in 2014 for the estate had a number of discrepancies including the inclusion of a wrong name and the omission of her mother’s name.

Another letter that was presented in court that was reportedly written by a Chief also indicated that some of the names of their siblings were left out.

“I only learnt about the errors in the grant last week,” she said.

In earlier proceeding, the governor dismissed the case in a joint affidavit as incompetent and intended to paint the family in a bad light.

They claimed that the application aimed to “embarrass and extort Nyong’o now that he was elected the governor of Kisumu County”.

But yesterday, the two nephews dismissed their claims adding that they were only seeking justice after their parents were left out of the list of beneficiaries even though they were also family members.

Omondi said he only learnt about the succession last year when he sought for help from the family members when he had a problem.

“We pray to get justice that we did not get from our own relatives,” he said.

According to court documents seen by The Standard, Nyongo’s father died on November 10, 2016, without a will.

The estate estimated to be valued at Sh200 million includes 100 acres piece of land in Miwani under a 99-year lease, parcels of land in Manyatta, Tamu, Milimani estates, and East Rata in Seme sub-county in Kisumu.

It also includes another parcel of land along Jogoo Road in Nairobi which currently has flats built on it.

Past attempts by Justice Thrispisa Cherere to have the family resolve the matter out of court were fruitless after the parties failed to reach an agreement.

The case will be mentioned for directions on July 31.