A Kenyan working in London, Dubai or Minneapolis may have spent a decade abroad yet still own a plot on the outskirts of Nairobi, a house upcountry, bank accounts and family responsibilities at home. Death abroad does not settle a Kenyan estate by itself. Without a plan, the family inherits a process , and diaspora … Read more
You bought the plots, finished the rentals and the family is settled abroad. The unfinished question is what happens to those assets if you are not there to manage them. Succession planning answers it in advance. What happens to Kenyan property when an owner abroad dies? Kenyan assets pass under the Law of Succession Act … Read more
When a person dies without a will, the court is still involved. The document that authorises the family to collect, settle and distribute the estate is a grant of letters of administration, and obtaining one is the practical task that faces the household once the burial is done. The process is structured, and understanding it … Read more
A husband of thirty years dies without a will. Within weeks, relatives are discussing who should live in the house. It is a distressingly common scenario, and Kenyan law has a good deal to say about it , mostly in favour of the surviving spouse. What rights does a surviving spouse have in Kenya? The … 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
There is no will, the funeral is done, and the family must now deal with the house, the shamba and the bank accounts. The question everyone asks , who inherits? , has a legal answer that was set out in advance, whether anyone read it or not. Who inherits when there is no will in … 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
A will and a trust can both carry out your wishes, but they work at different times, under different statutes, and with different levels of publicity. Knowing the difference helps you choose , or combine , the right tools. What is the main difference between a trust and a will in Kenya? Timing , a … Read more
A will that fails on formalities can be as bad as no will at all , the family ends up in the intestacy queue anyway. Kenya’s requirements are not onerous, but they are strict, and they are applied. What makes a will valid in Kenya? The Law of Succession Act (Cap 160) prescribes the formalities. … Read more
A couple prepares for a wedding, and a relative mentions that the marriage will cancel the will made years earlier. The claim sounds like folklore, but it rests on the statute. For anyone marrying in Kenya with an existing will, the point deserves attention before the ceremony rather than after, because the consequences for the … Read more
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