Ex-mayor's children locked in bitter succession battle

The late former Nakuru Mayor Herman Nderi. [File, Standard]

The children of the late former Nakuru Mayor Herman Nderi, have moved to court over the management of his estate.

Anthony Marine, Jane Wangeshi and Billy Nduati, have teamed up against Kevin Wangombe who has allegedly been managing three of the former mayor’s properties within Nakuru County.

One of the properties in Mariakani, Shabaab, measuring 0.07 acres was estimated to be worth Sh18 million by May 7, 2024, others are in Naka Estate and Milimani Estate.

The three who appeared before Justice Samwel Mohochi, want Wangombe to be restrained from collecting rent, intermeddling, leasing or selling the properties.

They accuse Wangombe of collecting rent without authority from the family, especially the three who are the joint administrators of the estate.

“The respondent be barred from interfering with the assets of the estate, particularly rental premises in the three prime properties within Nakuru,” they say.

The three want the court to order Safaricom to produce the deceased’s (Nderi) MPesa statements to ascertain all transactions undertaken from June 2024 to date.

Further, the want Wangombe ordered to give an account of all the rent accruing from the rental properties from June 2024 to date.

“The court be pleased to compel the respondent (Wangombe) to refund rental income collected from the rental premises in the properties, dating from June 2024 to date,” they say.

They want the rent to be deposited into the court's bank account and to be held on behalf of the beneficiaries of the estate until the conclusion of the inheritance case.

They further urge the court to put a caution against the properties.

Marine, Wangeshi and Nduati state that Nderi died on May 23, 2024, and no letters of administration had been issued. They claim that Wangombe currently holds all original documents and information on Nderi’s properties.

According to Wangeshi, the deceased was survived by the three of them, Wangombe and two other siblings, who were the beneficiaries of the estate.

They fault Wangombe for delaying an Alternative Justice System (AJS) recommended by the court in December 2024.

“Despite the applicants being ready and willing to attend the session, the respondent refused to confirm attendance in several listed dates and the same became futile,” they submit.

Wangombe is also accused of ignoring and refusing to have the family set an estate joint account for collection of the income from the deceased's rental properties.

“Unless restrained from collecting rent, he will continue with acts of malicious wastage of the estate thus disinheriting the other beneficiaries,” they say.

In response, Wangombe urges the court to dismiss the application. He states that he was staying with their parents and taking care of them, before they died.

He claims that before his death, their father Nderi sold the property in Mariakani to one Hosea Wangethi on May 7, 2024 for Sh18 million.

 Wangombe argues that by the time of his death, Nderi was not the registered owner of the second property, as it was registered as Ndema, a business name.

“The property in Naka is being controlled by Nduati, who has been collecting rent. It is the only property of the estate with an income,” he submits.

He says that at the time of his death, their father had accumulated debts, and there were several court cases over the family's estate.

Wangombe further claims that Marine, Wangeshi and Nduati are not fit to be administrators and have to consult other beneficiaries of the estate.

The court will give its verdict on April 14, 2026.