Firm in court over Ntimama daughter succession
Alphonse Mung’ahu
Financial services firm Britam Asset Managers has moved to the High Court in a dispute involving the estate of the late prominent politician William ole Ntimama (pictured).
The former cabinet minister’s children are embroiled in a dispute with their brother-in-law over funds deposited in an account managed by Britam and which was being administered by Ntimama’s widow and her last born daughter who has since died.
The deceased daughter was married to Eric Kariuki Kimani, who has written to Britam, demanding a share of the money.
In an application filed under a certificate of urgency, Britam Asset Managers (Kenya) Limited is suing the estate of the late Vivian Talasha Ntimama, listed as the first respondent, and Dorcas Pedalai Ntimama (Vivian’s mother) as the second respondent.
The company through its acting chief operating officer Esther Chege, says in a supporting affidavit that on February 27, 2020 it received a letter from Kimani Kabucho Mbeneka Advocates, instructing it to have Ntimama’s accounts preserved, pending a grant of letters of administration for Vivian’s estate.
The law firm had been instructed by Vivian’s husband Kimani, who has applied for letters of administration of the late wife’s estate.
“The applicant (Britam) subsequently received two letters dated March 6 from the Executor of the estate of the late William Rongora Ntimama alias William ole Ntimama, whose contents denied the averments made in the letter by the advocates of the proposed administrators of the estate of the first respondent (Vivian), terming the same as baseless and lacking in fact to have the widower claim the account under code 3 394 was in joint investment between Vivian and the second respondent (her mother),” says the finance firm.
The company’s official says that Britam makes no claims to any of the money in the accounts save for its charges and the costs of the proceedings.
“I am concerned that the applicant is faced with conflicting claims to the money held in this account under code No. WMF 3394 from all the responds and as to what should be done with the money held by the applicant,” says Chege.
Documents filed in court show that before Vivian’s death, Ntimama’s children and their mother had shared some of the money, leaving Sh100 million in their mother’s account.
Ntimama’s family lawyer Omwanza Ombati has threatened to sue Britam for denying the late politician’s widow and her children access to the funds.
