Widow of ex-KFS officer Elijah Murkomen dismisses presence of other families in succession case

Georgina Mbithe Kitum, a retired employee of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) told Justice Reuben Nyakundi of Eldoret High Court that the two women who have filed joint petitions demanding shares of the deceased’s properties together with their five children were not her co-wives as they claim.

Mbithe, a mother of four told the court that she was the legal wife of the deceased and their children whom she said are the only beneficiaries to his estates that are spread in three counties of Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Trans Nzoia.

She dismisses as misplaced and false claims by the two women namely, Novene Lagat an employee with the Postal Corporation of Kenya and Lily Kanji, a businesswoman in Eldoret town that they were the wives of the deceased.

The deceased, who was formerly Kenya Forest Service Zonal manager for Teso Conservancy in Western Kenya died through a fatal road accident that occurred along the Webuye-Eldoret highway on the night of February 8, 2013.

The widow in her court documents avers that the two women were not being maintained by the deceased prior to his death through the tragic road accident, noting that their application to be recognised as beneficiaries of his estate lack merit.

In their rejoinder, the women claimed that they were married to the deceased and that he used to cater for their children’s school fees, food, house rent and other necessities.

They said that they attended all burial meetings for the deceased that were held at Wagon hotel in Eldoret and even attended the burial ceremony alongside their children that was held in Kamendi farm, Trans Nzoia County.

On her part, Kanji said they came to know each other in 1998 before formalizing their marriage the following year with the blessings and consent of their parents and that they were blessed with two children.

The case will come up for further hearing on May 20, 2024.