Economy

Paradise Lost owner kin yet to agree on sharing multi-billion shilling estate

PARADISELOST

Paradise Lost in Kiambu County, December 9, 2020. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

A family in Kiambu remains divided over the distribution of multi-billion shilling properties among them Paradise Lost on Kiambu Road more than six months after a judge sanctioned a disputed consent for parties to agree on the mode of sharing the estate.

The sons of the late billionaire Mbugua Mwangi have been fighting over the property scattered in Kiambu, Nairobi and Laikipia counties.

The assets were registered under Ndunde Investments Ltd which, apart from Paradise Lost, owns the Misarara Coffee Estate, the Suguror Ranch in Laikipia, and property in Karen and Runda, running into billions of shillings.

A ruling last year by High Court judge Wilfrida Okwany adopted a consent drafted by lawyers despite protestations by one of the sons- Daniel Mbugua Mwangi.

According to Mr Mwangi, the consent was drafted without his involvement and an advocate who purportedly represented him had no authority to do so. He further alleged that one of the advocates involved in drafting the consent did not represent any party in the case.

Mr Mwangi maintained that any order touching on the distribution of the wealth should have been made in the succession court and his advocate in the succession case should have been involved in drafting the consent.

He has filed a complaint against a prominent advocate for allegedly meddling with the estate. Mr Mwangi has also filed a complaint before the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) citing two judges for bias among other accusations. The JSC is yet to act on the complaints.

The businessman has faulted the judge’s decision saying the court ignored the complaints made to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Advocates Complaints Commission and the police.

[email protected]