A court has locked out a woman claiming to be the widow of former Belgut MP Erick Arap Keter from inheriting his estate.
Justice Asenath Ongeri has also ordered for a DNA test to confirm the paternity of the woman’s three children that she claimed were sired by the late MP and wants them to get a share of his wealth.
The judge said the DNA results will determine whether the children are entitled to a share of the multi-million shilling properties owned by Mr Keter, who served in the 11th Parliament (2013-2017) under Kanu ticket and died in December 2017.
Justice Ongeri said the woman, identified as RCK, should not get any share of the estate as she failed to prove her marriage with Mr Keter.
The court found that she was his lover not a wife, though her evidence was that they had cohabited for over ten years and he had paid dowry. To prove existence of the marriage and the dowry ceremony, the woman had produced in court minutes of the dowry negotiations meeting.
“What Ms RCK had with Mr Keter was a clandestine relationship that cannot qualify to be termed as a marriage even under the doctrine of presumption of marriage. Mr Keter’s immediate family would have known if she was cohabiting with him. The alleged long cohabitation with Mr Keter would have been known by the immediate family members,” said Justice Ongeri.
The court dismissed her objection against granting Mr Keter’s wife authority to manage the estate, which comprises Milimani Grammar Schools in Kericho and Bomet counties, among other assets.
The woman and her seven witnesses in court testified that she got married to the late MP under Kipsigis customary law in the year 2008 when the traditional ceremony known as “ratet” was conducted. The court heard that they had three children and the dowry was subsequently paid in the year 2012.
