30-year-old property succession battle between siblings pushed to next year

A 30-year family estate succession battle between brothers has been pushed to next year after the administrator failed to appear in court.

The administrator, who is also the petitioner, was yesterday expected to account for his late father’s estate before High Court judge William Musyoka.

Justice Musyoka further directed the succession file be taken back to the initial judge, Justice Jesse Njagi, saying he is the one well-acquainted with the material facts of the matter.

Machanja Ligabo, the administrator of the late William Ligabo Lusala's estate, was to be cross-examined over a sworn statement he filed as proof that he had complied with court orders on how to divide the vast estates of his father.

On October 11, High Court judge Jesse Njagi ordered that the administrator be questioned on the contents of the statement after his siblings claimed it contained lies.

His younger brother, Inyama Ligabo told the court that the petitioner had defied earlier court orders by failing to share the estates properly.

Inyama wants the court to hand his elder brother a civil jail term for contempt of court.

In his statement, however, Machanja says he has complied with most of the court orders in respect to dividing the wealth. The deceased left a vast estate and several beneficiaries occasioning slight delays, further states.

Machanja is to give a statement of account for rent collected on a plot in Kakamega and Khayega market. He is also yet to account for proceeds of a sugar cane crusher and proceeds from a jaggery plot in Shinyalu

He (Machanja) is expected to be cross-examined on February 7, 2019 after being served with a notice.