Judge calls for succession law overhaul to protect women and girls' inheritance rights

Judge and gavel. [GettyImages]

High Court Judge Reuben Nyakundi has sparked a debate on whether Kenya should amend its succession law to recognise local customs, including marriages and come-we-stay arrangements and eliminate patriarchal norms that discriminate against women.

In his ruling on the estate of Andrea Maiyo, Justice Nyakundi noted that the frequent disputes over inheritance fighting arise largely because the Succession Act is not aligned with the 2010 Constitution.