How Maina Wanjigi shared his wealth

On August 31, 2000, the weather in Nairobi was mostly cloudy, with the temperature at a high of 21 degrees Celsius.

It is on this day that Maina Wanjigi wrote his wishes on how he would love his earthly wealth passed to his heirs.

He first settled that he would want to be buried at his farm in Kianjoya, Nyeri. The former Minister then appointed his widow Mary Wambui and sons Jimi Wanjigi and Sonny Mbui Wanjigi as executors and trustees.

“ I give, free of all taxes and expenses payable on my death, my personal and household effects as defined by Section 3(1) of the Law of Succession Act Chapter 160 to my Trustees upon trust to give such of them to such persons as they may within two years of my death in their absolute discretion decide but in so doing I request them to give effect as far as possible to any written statement of my wishes I may have left and the remainder of my personal belongings not having been so disposed of, shall pass as part of my Residuary Estate,” his will seen by this paper reads in part.

In the will, Maina left to Jimi two properties in Karen and Woodley.  He equally gave Mbui two properties in Karen. He also gifted his daughter Dr Josephine Wangeci two properties in Karen, while his other daughter, Dr. Nancy Gathoni was bequeathed two properties in Ridgeways and Karen.

Maina also gifted his sister Agnes Gathoni another property in Murang’a.

The politician put 13 properties, including a coffee roasting plant at Ruiru, into the Kwacha trust.

He was of the view that in case one of his immediate heirs passed, their share of wealth would be passed to his grandchildren and in case his children will not have children to pass the wealth to, such would be transferred to the trustees.

He hoped that all other personal property would be sold and the money used to offset his funeral, administration expenses and debts if he had any while the remaining estate would be transferred to his wife.

“The net income received after my death or the death of any person entitled to receive income from any part of my Residuary Estate however invested and of whatever kind and although paid in whole or in part in respect of a period

before such death shall be applicable as income despite any rule of law or equity to the contrary and no property which for the time being is not actually producing income shall be treated as producing income or entitling anyone to receipt of income,” the will continues to read.

He created a caveat that anyone who passed after him by 30 days ought to be treated as having passed before him.

Maina also gave the trustees the greenlight to insure his properties under the trust.

He also indicated that he hoped that after Wambui joined him, the property where she lives would be used as a centre of excellence in the field of health, in particular herbal, indigenous and homopathic medicines.

Maina wished that his grandchildren would get income from his parent’s share in case of death, after attaining 21 years and upon getting to 25 years, he or she would get capital from the share.

Some of the properties he owned included seven prime properties in Karen, others in Lavington, Ridgeways, Mombasa, Murang’a, Ruiru, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Nyeri, Dagoretti.

His son Mbui claimed that shares in listed companies, including Centum Investment Limited, East Africa Cables Limited, Absa Bank, Carbacid Investments Limited, Co-operative Bank, Williamson Tea Kenya PLC, Norwich Union, and Vendix Limited had allegedly been left out.