BOB COLLYMORE’S WIDOW ACCESSES SH 200 MILLION EMPIRE

The High Court has granted Wambui Collymore temporary permission to manage assets left by former Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, as Justice Maureen Odero prepares to hear the succession case involving one of the most influential corporate chiefs in Kenya’s history.

Justice Odero issued a grant of probate to Ms Wambui on July 29, which will give the former Safaricom CEO’s widow authority to manage assets worth more than Sh200 million.

But while Ms Wambui takes over as the interim manager pending conclusion of the succession case, Justice Odero insisted that she must hear from Collymore’s children from a previous marriage.

Collymore had two children — James and Sarah — from his previous marriage to Claire-Bishop Collymore.

On July 29, Ms Wambui’s lawyers told Justice Odero that the two children and their mother were yet to secure the services of an advocate to represent them in the succession case.

Ms Claire-Bishop’s social media account last week indicated that she is sourcing a lawyer who understands the Kenyan legal system to represent her two children.

Ms Wambui’s lawyers have asked the court to the lock media and the public out of the succession case, claiming that the matter is misreported whenever it comes up before the judge.

Collymore died on July 1, 2019 at his Kitisuru, Nairobi, home after a long battle with cancer.

The Guyanese-born Briton left two wills, one in Kenya and another outside the country. The second document has not been made public, neither has the jurisdiction of its signing been revealed in court filings.

As the Collymore family has largely kept its affairs private, there is no indication as to whether James and Sarah are likely to support or oppose the will filed in court.

The Kenyan will, filed in court by Ms Wambui, states that all assets Collymore owned locally will be inherited by her. The two got married in a private ceremony at their Kitisuru home in 2016.

Ms Wambui has asked Justice Odero to allow her to leave out some of Collymore’s properties from the court record, to avoid a lot of publicity that she believes could do more harm than good to the family.

In 2015, Collymore revealed that he had assets worth Sh277.3 million spread out in cash, real estate, cars and shares in various companies.

By Nation Africa