Kenya: Court surprises siblings in estate row

The High Court has punished siblings for meddling with their late father's property.

Justice Ruth Sitati decided to place the same basket of condemnation on the person who has sued and those who had been sued in the case regarding the late Mbalanya Omwakwe's estate.

Alice Owano and Dorcas Nanjero sued their brothers Musa Mbalanya, Tom Mbalanya and Benson Mbalanya, expecting that the judge would rule in their favour but they were surprised at the turn of events.

The court ordered the two sisters to either pay Sh5,000 or spend three months behind bars for 'trying to flex their muscles against each other using their father's property.'

During the hearing, the court heard that Owano and Nanjero supervised building of a wall on the deceased's parcel of land whereas the brothers together with other people who are not beneficiaries of the estate, demolished the same.

The judge was told that they also locked up the house of the deceased's second wife Addah Mbalanya and failed to account for the rent proceeds and collections from other commercial ventures. The three men argued that Owano was the cause of disharmony in their family. The court concluded that all the siblings deserved to be punished.