Wamalwa family property tussle deepens

The property tussle over former Vice President Micheal Kijana Wamalwa’s assets continues to deepen.

A second group of siblings has merged, dismissing the children of Yvonne Wamalwa as schemers who want the lion’s share of the Wamalwa estate.

Led by the first born daughter Alice Muthoni Wamalwa, the second group says their step-sister and step brother who spoke on Friday are only intent on disinheriting them

The tussle has the larger Kijana Wamalwa family split right in the middle — on one hand is Wamalwa’s late widow Yvonne Wamalwa’s children Michelle Nafuna Wamalwa and her brother Derek Luke Mboya. Orphaned, given the death of both parents the two are battling for their lives.

On the opposite side is their step brothers and sister led by Jabali Wamalwa, Alice Muthoni Wamalwa, William Wamalwa Senior and William Wamalwa Junior. The four step children claim the two Wamalwa orphans from Yvonne Wamalwa’s house want to grab everything Wamalwa left for all of them.

“It is a question of fairness whether one of the beneficiaries can get three quarters of the estate to the disadvantage of the four who are left to share one quarter of the property,” said Muthoni on Saturday.

Alice Muthoni describes herself as the sole executor of the Wamalwa estate given the death of Yvonne Wamalwa in January 2018. The Wamalwa first born daughter is in court having stopped the late Yvonne Wamalwa from accessing her late husband’s pension. 15 years later the pension is still frozen.

“Unfortunately we were unable to agree on all the issues pertaining to the fair distribution of the estate therefore necessitating judicial intervention in the matter,” added Alice Muthoni.

To muddy the waters Alice Muthoni is in court to bar Yvonne Wamalwa’s son Derek Mboya from benefiting from Wamalwa’s property, claiming he came into the family with his mother Yvonne Wamalwa, and therefore he is not a legitimate son to the late vice president.

But in an affidavit sworn by Michelle Chichi Wamalwa, a ruling of 2015 declared that Kijana Wamalwa was survived by among others Derek Luke Mboya. The ruling has never been appealed against.

The protracted battle has sucked in Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa who is accused of bankrolling Wamalwa’s step siblings against Yvonne Wamalwa’s two children.

“If our uncle was who he would like people to think he is, as far as we are concerned we wouldn’t be here talking to the media,” said Derek.

As the tussle drags on, Michelle Wamalwa has dropped out of school in Australia for over one year and it appears there is no end in sight.

The matter on the Wamalwa estate is up for hearing on February 4, 2019.

The Devolution CS has remained mum on the issue.