Fight over property blamed for Kandara family deaths

The family whose six relatives perished on Sunday after a fire razed their house in Kandara, Murang'a, has had property wrangles for years.

Mary Wangui, 60, her three daughters Celia Gathoni, Lucy Mumbi and Margate Wanja, and her two grandchildren Jackline Wambui and Alvin Kiarie died in the suspected arson attack.

Wangui is survived by five children.

Neighbours told the Star the family has had numerous police visits as siblings fought over their father's property.

When journalists visited the home in Nguthuru village, neighbours could be seen milling in small groups that quickly dispersed once they realised the visitors were journalists.

The home, which is a few metres away from Makenji-Kandara road, has been cordoned off by the police.

Uniformed police officers could be seen keeping guard, while detectives were going on with their investigations.

Majority of residents declined to comment about the incident, which has left the village in shock.

Those who did, said the family has been plagued by conflicts that started after their father, John Njoroge Kung’u, died in the 1990s.

John Karega, a neighbour, said it is sad that the property acquired by the old man has brought tragedy to the home.

Karega said when Njoroge was alive, his two wives and their children lived together harmoniously.

Njoroge built one big house that housed both wives and their children, with each family using a separate door.

But shortly after he passed on, his first wife Alice died, leaving the home in the custody of the second wife Rebeccah Wambui.

Things took a turn for the worst five years ago when Wangui left her matrimonial home and went back to her maternal home.

Wangui, the eldest daughter of the second wife,  came with three of her daughters and two granddaughters and lived with her mother Wambui.

However, about a year ago the mother left the house and moved in with one of her sons Henry, who lives a few metres away.

Barely a month ago, Wangui's younger sister Alice Wagikuyu— who is the main suspect in the killings — also left her husband and joined her sister in their parents house. She moved in with her two daughters.

It is in Henry’s house that the suspect went to sleep after saving her belongings from the house before it got razed down.

Neighbours got enraged after realising she had managed to save her items, including beddings and utensils but did not save her relatives.

Karega said Wangui was a hardworking woman and was in agribusiness and this saw her relate well with her neighbours.

He said one of Wangui’s daughters who perished had just completed her KCSE exams at Nguthuru Secondary School, while another one was enrolled in a private school.

It is said that conflict in the home escalated after Wangui started demanding for a share of their father's vast wealth.

“We have heard that some of her siblings wanted her to go back to her marriage to lock her out of their father’s inheritance,” Karega said.

“What happened yesterday must have been planned because the door to the house had been locked on the outside with a padlock. How was the suspect able to remove her belongings?” Karega wondered, explaining that until yesterday, the suspect lived in the house that was razed.

He said Wangui and her children and grandchildren deserve justice and asked the police to camp at the home until they establish the genesis of the fire.

Former assistant chief Simon Muiruri said until he retired in June last year, he had solved numerous cases involving members of the family.

“I knew the family had an on-going succession case that was concluded and each of the wives was allocated property. But I doubt they are yet to subdivide among the children,” he said.

After the case, Wangui, had a right to inherit his father as she had left her marriage, Muiruri said.

Despite the constant wrangles, Muiruri said it was shocking to hear the six had perished.

“I am shocked the wrangles went to that extreme, I got scared because I have been deeply involved in their issues,” he added, noting that most land issues he had experienced during his tenure ended in court.

He advised the family to allow the government to intervene and help resolve the issues.

George Kung’u, the first wife’s firstborn, said he has also been involved in solving wrangles within the family.

Kung’u told the Star he took up two of his nieces after his younger brother Peter Wainaina and his wife died.

Wainaina had inherited the family's land in Murera, Ruiru where he settled until he died. But his siblings took up the land and kept it away from his daughters.

Kung'u said his father had properties in Kandara, Thika, Ruiru, Kamulu, Gatundu and Nairobi that included  land, rental building and vehicles, all worth millions.

He said his father’s wealth has been the genesis of the wrangles in the family as siblings scrambled for the property.

“I would want the government to help us straighten these issues and stop these wrangles once and for all,” he said.

When journalists visited Henry’s home in an attempt to get a comment from his mother, his sister angrily blocked them saying she was unwell and could not talk despite her willingness to give an interview.

Meanwhile, Wagikuyu was remanded for 21 days by Kandara principal magistrate Eric Mutunga after the prosecution applied to hold her to complete its investigations.

She is set to be arraigned on May 3, when she is expected to be charged with murder.

 

-Edited by SKanyara

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