Six months after the funeral, the family is still assembling documents and asking the question every succession family asks: how long will this take, and what will it cost? Which court handles succession causes in Nairobi? Succession causes are filed in the court with jurisdiction over the estate. In Nairobi that is commonly the Family … Read more
The old man’s shamba in Vihiga has been farmed by three of his sons for years, each on an agreed portion that was never registered. Now a road project is coming and compensation is on the table, and the family learns that on paper the land still belongs to the deceased. Why do rural land … Read more
A business owner in Westlands wants her children to inherit the family companies and the Karen home without the family spending years in the succession registry. She has heard of family trusts, but how do they differ from a will? What is a family trust? A family trust is an arrangement in which trustees hold … Read more
Being named executor of a will, or appointed administrator by the court, is a position of trust with real obligations attached. Representatives frequently accept the role without a clear view of what it involves, and the questions tend to arrive after the grant: what to collect, what to pay first, and to whom accounts must … Read more
The grant of letters of administration has been confirmed, and the family assumes the land is now theirs. Legally, the estate must still be transmitted, the grant is the key, but each asset has its own lock. What is confirmation of a grant? After a grant issues, the administrators apply to the court for confirmation, … Read more
A trader in Eastlands dies without a will, leaving a widow, two adult children and a house in Buru Buru. She was his second wife; his elder children are from the first marriage, and that detail changes how the estate will be shared. Kenyan law decides who inherits, and the family’s assumptions are not always … Read more
A will written in an exercise book, signed by the maker and kept in a drawer, Kenyan courts see many of these, and some are upheld while others fail. The difference usually turns on the formal requirements of the Law of Succession Act (Cap 160). What are the requirements for a valid written will? The … Read more
The grant has been gazetted, and then a brother files an objection claiming the will was made when the deceased was unwell. Succession disputes are common in Kenya, and the way the first few weeks are handled often shapes how they end. On what grounds can a will be challenged? Challenges commonly allege that the … Read more
A parent dies, and among the papers is a bank statement. The family needs the funds for school fees and funeral costs, but the branch explains that the account cannot be operated. Frozen accounts follow death as a matter of banking practice, and the route to release runs through the succession process rather than through … Read more
One father left a careful will naming an executor; another left nothing in writing. Both estates need a court grant before anything can be transferred, but the two families will follow different documents, and knowing which applies saves months of confusion. What is probate? Probate is the grant made where the deceased left a valid … Read more
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