Two children of former Cabinet minister John Joseph Kamotho have been declared bankrupt despite claiming they were beneficiaries of their late father’s Sh250 million estate.
Marianne Nyokabi Kamotho and David Waweru Kamotho were declared bankrupt after failing to settle a combined Sh4.83 million legal bill owed to lawyer Paul Maingi Musyimi.
Court records show Nyokabi owed Sh3.74 million while Waweru owed Sh1.09 million.
The lawyer served the siblings with statutory demands requiring them to settle the debts before moving to court. They failed to comply, prompting the High Court to issue bankruptcy orders.
Waweru was declared bankrupt on November 18, 2025, while a similar order was issued against Nyokabi on January 30, 2026.
The siblings had argued that they were beneficiaries of their late father’s estate and would use their expected inheritance to settle the debts.
The court, however, rejected the argument, ruling that an expected inheritance could not be treated as immediately available wealth.
In Nyokabi’s case, the court noted that confirmation of a grant did not automatically transfer ownership of the listed properties to her.
The properties remained part of Kamotho’s estate until they were formally transmitted, the court found. They could also be subject to existing charges or competing claims.
The bankruptcy orders have now placed the siblings’ expected inheritance in a difficult position, with assets forming part of their bankruptcy estates coming under the control of a trustee.
The Official Receiver, Mark Gakuru, was appointed trustee of Waweru’s estate. A Kenya Gazette notice published on August 28, 2026 set out the process for creditors to oppose his discharge.
Waweru is scheduled for automatic discharge on November 17, 2028, while Nyokabi’s is due on January 29, 2029, unless opposed.
For Nyokabi, the bankruptcy has an additional consequence because she is an advocate of the High Court. Her practising certificate is suspended following the bankruptcy order.
The case is part of a wider succession battle that has kept Kamotho’s wealth tied up in court for years.
Kamotho died in South Africa on December 6, 2014, without leaving a written will. He was survived by his widow, Eunice Wambui Kamotho, and four children.
His estate includes land in Murang’a and Kakuzi, houses in Nairobi, shares in companies including Safaricom, KenGen and Britam, and a bank account.
The family has been unable to agree on the distribution of the estate, with the succession dispute dating back to 2017.
The saga also involved an Sh82 million house at Jadenville Country Homes. The court eventually allowed its sale and directed that half of the proceeds be shared equally among Kamotho’s four children, with the other half going to their mother.
The latest bankruptcy orders mean that even if the siblings eventually receive assets from their father’s estate, those assets may first have to meet claims against them.
Kamotho, a former KANU secretary-general and Cabinet minister during the Moi era, died aged 72 after a long career in Kenyan politics.