RAILA’S QUESTIONABLE SIGNATURE IN DYING MAN’S WILL

A new twist has unravelled in the succession battle among family members of the estate of the late ex-Assistant Minister Martin Shikuku. 

The High Court has discovered that Emmanuel Shikuku forged the signatures of the witnesses indicated in his father’s will. The purported signatures are those of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga and former Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) boss Richard Leakey. 

According to court documents, Leakey disowned his signature – affirming that he had never witnessed any will signed by the former minister. 

High Court judge Thande Mugure ordered that a copy of the fake will be presented to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji for prosecution due to forgery. 

ODM leader Raila Odinga (right) visits the late Martin Shikuku at a hospital in NairobiFACEBOOK

“In view of the foregoing, it would appear to me that the document which Emmanuel passed off as the will of the deceased is a forgery. 

“Under the penal code, the uttering of a false document as Emmanuel herein has done is a criminal offense that renders him liable for prosecution,” the judge ordered. 

The case involves a 100-acre parcel of land located in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County.

The judge further revoked Emmanuel’s authority over the disputed land despite a previous court order which had granted him the mandate to execute the will. 

Initially, Emmanuel had alleged that his father had died without a will but changed tune when he later presented the contested document in court.

The younger Shikuku claimed that his father had authored the will on September 16, 1996, which dictated how the vast properties would be shared among his family. 

Details of the alleged will revealed that the firebrand politician’s son would take control of the 100-acre land, whereas the other properties would be shared with the other children. 

The elder Shikuku had three wives and 20 children in total – two wives and six children have since died.

This led to a court order on February 23, 2021, by Justice Aggrey Muchelule who granted Emmanuel authority over the execution of the will. 

Aggrieved by the order, Shikuku’s only surviving widow, Frida Nafuna alleged that she and other family members had been locked out of the succession case. 

By Kenyans.co.ke