Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has slammed his late brother Nderitu Gachagua’s wife after she called on President William Ruto to intervene in a succession dispute over a will.
Nderitu’s widow, Margaret Nyokabi Nderitu, and her four children claim that a purportedly doctored will has subjected them to years of tribulations since the death of their patriarch.
They accuse a brother of the deceased of using the will, along with alleged political connections and influence, to defraud them, disinherit them, and misappropriate funds meant for the family.
Nderitu’s Widow Calls for Investigation in Alleged Forged Will
The family appealed to the President to institute an independent and impartial investigation into the alleged forgery of the will and unlawful intermeddling in the estate.
They also seek the return of irregularly transferred assets, including Olive Gardens and Vipingo Beach Resort, as well as protection from intimidation and coercion.
In response, Gachagua, while speaking on Friday, March 27, stated that family matters should be resolved within the family and through the courts, not by the President of Kenya.
“The law of succession is not a matter for the President of Kenya to handle. The law of succession is handled by courts of law,” he said.
“If anybody is dissatisfied with what is happening in a succession matter, you do not go to the President of Kenya; you go to court. That is the law, because the President of Kenya has no authority over families. Family law governs matters of succession.”
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According to Gachagua, his late brother had prepared a comprehensive will that accounted for multiple beneficiaries, including the deceased’s wives, children, siblings, and other dependents.
“The late Gachagua wrote a will and gave his property to everybody. He gave it to his wife, two of them, and four children. He had other women in his life. He included them, a total of 21 beneficiaries,” the former DP disclosed.
Gachagua Denies Forging Will of His Late Brother
The former DP said Nderitu directed that all his property be sold and the proceeds distributed among the beneficiaries according to a formula outlined in the will, with some receiving 10 per cent, others 5, 3, or 2 per cent.
He appointed three executors—his lawyer, Njoroge Regeru, his longtime associate friend, Mwai Mathenge, and himself—with instructions to sell all properties, pay debts, and distribute the remaining funds to the 21 beneficiaries in accordance with the will.
“The succession law says once a will has been read to the beneficiaries, you go to court. We went to court, and before the judge in 2018, all of us told the judge that we had agreed to the content of the will,” Gachagua revealed.
“The court adopted the will and allowed the executors to go ahead as per the wishes of the deceased. We sold the properties, paid his debts, and distributed the balance to the beneficiaries. That happened 8 years ago, 8 years nobody ever spoke,” he added.
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According to Gachagua, all beneficiaries received their shares without complaint.
He stated that the matter was concluded in court eight years ago and remains a matter of public record, with a grant of probate issued.
Gachagua further alleged that recent claims are politically motivated, insisting the estate has already been fully distributed and the matter closed.
At the heart of the renewed battle over the estate of Nderitu Gachagua is a letter calling for careful and extensive scrutiny of the will, which the family says disinherited them.
In their appeal, the family states that Suzan Nderitu Gachagua, the two-term Mathira Lawmaker’s daughter, who was at his bedside before Gachagua’s passing in a hospital in Chelsea, London, reported that the condition of the late Gachagua had deteriorated to the extent that he was unable to see, write, or comprehend any legal document—raising questions about the inconsistency of the will with medical reality, witness accounts, and Gachagua’s physical condition.
