Two Women Fight over Former Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru's Sh55 Million Estate

A woman claiming to be a widow of the late Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru is demanding a share of his Sh55 million estate.

Wangui Mwaura, through an application filed in court on July 21st, says she cohabited with the deceased for seven years after he separated from his first wife Catherine Kirumba Karemu, and that the two were blessed with a son.

The High Court issued Catherine with a certificate of confirmation of grant on May 6th this year, giving her full control of the estate left behind by Gakuru.

Nyeri High Court judge Abigale Mshila allowed Catherine and her three sons to be the only beneficiaries of the estate.

Wangui wants the certificate of confirmation of grant revoked, arguing that Gakuru separated from Catherine in 2008 and were undergoing divorce proceedings under case number 299/2013.

“I was his wife, having cohabited with him for seven years from 2010 to 2017 and were blessed with a son before the deceased met his death in a road accident,” Wangui says.

She is seeking to have her name and that of her son included in the list of beneficiaries of Gakuru’s wealth.

In her replying affidavit, Catherine insists she was the only wife of the late governor, saying Wangui is a stranger.

Among the properties left behind by Gakuru is a parcel of land registered as Kiambu Municipality block 111/78 in Runda estate, another property registered as 21809 in Ngong, an undisclosed amount of shares in Kenya Reinsurance, Safaricom, and KenGen, and three vehicles.

Gakuru died at Thika Level 5 Hospital after a road accident at Makenji along Nyeri-Nairobi highway on November 7th, 2017.