In a rare and dramatic move, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has gone public with the contents of his late brother’s will, seeking to quell a growing storm of allegations over the handling of a vast and contested estate.

The disclosure lifts the veil on the final wishes of Nderitu Gachagua, whose death in 2017 set in motion a complex inheritance process now under intense scrutiny from both family members and the public.

A Will Under Siege

In a notice published in local dailies, Gachagua—acting as executor alongside lawyers Mwai Mathenge and Njoroge Regeru—said the unprecedented step was necessary to “set the record straight” amid persistent claims of irregularities.At the heart of the dispute are concerns raised by a minority of beneficiaries, five out of 23, who have questioned the administration of the estate and escalated the matter to the highest levels of government, including an appeal to William Ruto.

The executors, however, have dismissed what they describe as a “public audit” conducted without full access to records, insisting their actions have been both lawful and transparent.

Sponsored

Clarity. Healing. Strength.

Confidential, high-quality psychological support in Kenya—designed to help you navigate life’s pressures with calm, clarity, and control.

Feeling overwhelmed or unheard? Step into a private, supportive space where your voice matters and your healing begins.

Led by Certified Therapist Rebecca Wanyonyi, offering discreet, client-centered care tailored to your journey.

LiveWell Consultancy  | Call: +254 724 644 870

WhatsApp Chat Now

Private • Confidential • Judgment-Free

Inside the Estate Blueprint

The will, signed just days before Nderitu’s death at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, outlines a meticulously structured distribution of wealth.

Prime properties in Nairobi’s affluent Karen and Lang’ata areas were allocated to his wives, while additional homes in Nyeri were transferred in line with occupancy arrangements already in place at the time of his passing.

The ancestral estate—four acres and a family residence—was divided equally between his two eldest sons, who have since taken possession.

Elsewhere, business interests, including shares in Mweiga Homes, were assigned to Gachagua himself, forming part of a broader distribution framework.

Billions in Assets, Questions in the Air

Beyond property, the estate includes high-value commercial assets whose sale has drawn particular attention.

Executors revealed that key properties—including Olive Gardens Hotel, Queensgate Estate, and Vipingo Estate—were sold well above their reserve prices, collectively realising approximately Sh1.25 billion.

They defended the transactions as prudent and aligned with their fiduciary duty to maximise returns for beneficiaries.

The Numbers That Matter

According to the will’s formula, 62 per cent of the net estate was earmarked for the immediate family, while 22 per cent was distributed among extended beneficiaries. Administrative costs and liabilities accounted for 11 per cent, with the executors collectively allocated five per cent.

The executors insist these allocations strictly follow the deceased’s instructions—long known, they say, to all beneficiaries.

Transparency or Tension?

Yet, even as the publication aims to bring clarity, it may deepen divisions within the family and fuel broader public debate over inheritance disputes among Kenya’s elite.

For Gachagua, the message is clear: transparency is the ultimate defence.

But in a case where billions, legacy, and family ties intersect, the release of the will may not mark the end of the dispute—only a new, more public chapter in an already fraught saga.