A seven-year inheritance dispute over the multimillion-shilling estate of the late Christine Mbugua has taken a fresh twist after family members questioned the alleged disposal of the prime Paradise Lost property in Kiambu County and the omission of other valuable assets from the proposed distribution plan.
The dispute played out in court on Monday as Wanjiku Mwangi Mbugua, daughter of beneficiary Daniel Mwangi Mbugua, challenged her uncle, Joseph Mbai Mbugua, over missing title deeds, bank statements and rental income records.
Appearing before Justice Rose Akinyi, Wanjiku questioned whether the Paradise Lost property had been disposed of with the knowledge and consent of all beneficiaries.
She also demanded answers over two prime properties in Mombasa that she claimed had been excluded from the estate's distribution list.
Wanjiku sought details of the properties' monthly rental income and questioned why the records had not been fully disclosed to beneficiaries.
The court also heard questions surrounding Christine Mbugua's interests in a coffee mill and shares in another coffee milling company.
Joseph declined to provide details about his knowledge of the businesses, further exposing disagreements over the assets forming part of the estate.
The proceedings also brought into question an affidavit outlining the proposed distribution of the inheritance.
Wanjiku challenged Joseph to explain why documents had allegedly been sworn and signed on behalf of her father, Daniel Mwangi Mbugua, without his consent to the proposed distribution arrangement.
However, Joseph maintained that all beneficiaries had agreed to the distribution plan.
He disputed claims that some properties had been wrongly excluded, arguing that they belonged to Dunde Company, a separate corporate entity with four directors, including the late Christine Mbugua.
The court heard that the family had yet to convene and reach a fresh agreement on how the disputed estate should be shared.
The beneficiaries include Isaac Gichial Mbugua, Joseph Mbai Mbugua, Elizabeth Wanjiku, Daniel Mwangi Mbugua, and the late Catherine Wanjiru Mbugua and Gladys Wangari Mbugua.
Among the contested assets are an interest in Paradise Lost in Kiambu, two prime Mombasa properties and five bank accounts.
The case remains before the court, with questions over ownership, financial disclosure and beneficiaries' consent continuing to delay the distribution of the estate.
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