Ex-First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Siblings Move to Block Widow from Late Brother’s Sh50 Million Estate

Former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has been dragged into a high-stakes family succession battle in which she and her siblings are fighting to revoke the grant of administration issued to the widow of her late brother, effectively seeking to bar her from accessing or controlling his estate valued at around Sh50 million.

William Gakuo Njuguna, 48, a younger brother of the former First Lady, died in November 2024 without children.

His widow, Sheila Wanjiku Mwangi, petitioned the High Court at Milimani and obtained letters of administration in December 2025, presenting herself as the deceased’s wife and sole surviving beneficiary.

Now Peter Maina Gakuo, swearing an affidavit on behalf of his siblings Gabriella Njeri Gakuo, Christine Wambui Gakuo and Margaret Wanjiru Gakuo, has asked the court to revoke that grant on grounds of fraud and material non-disclosure.

William Gakuo Njuguna

The siblings argue that the widow deliberately concealed their existence from the court. They contend that because their parents had already passed away, they remain surviving siblings with a legitimate beneficial interest in the estate.

Had the court been properly informed, they say, it would have considered all persons with potential claims before issuing the grant. They are now demanding that the grant be revoked and that all further dealings with the assets be stopped until the dispute is fully determined.

Court papers detail the estate as comprising land in Narok, shareholding in three companies Siaya Greens Limited, Tinderet Greens Limited and Kenindia Assurance Company Limited a Mitsubishi Pajero and proceeds expected from the estate of the late father, Ephantus Gakuo. The assets are collectively valued at approximately Sh50 million.

The widow has rejected the application outright. In her replying affidavit she maintains that the siblings are not dependants within the meaning of the Law of Succession Act and that there was therefore no legal obligation to disclose their names in her petition.

She describes them as independent, financially stable adults and pointedly notes that the fourth applicant is the wife of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

She further states that her advocates had already written to the siblings in January 2026 supplying copies of the grant, and that they responded in March acknowledging prior knowledge of the proceedings.

The dispute has exposed deep family hostility. Ms Mwangi alleges that the siblings have locked her out of the matrimonial home in Karen, chased away her gardener and denied her access to her clothing and personal belongings still inside the house.

She also claims that her late husband died by suicide on 7 November 2024 after being frustrated in his efforts to obtain his rightful share from his father’s estate.

She accuses administrators of that estate of failing to account for Sh300 million realised from the sale of Bamburi North plots to the government, leaving her husband isolated and despairing as the only child from a different mother within the family.

The siblings insist their application is not malicious but necessary to correct a defective process that excluded rightful surviving relatives.

The matter is listed for mention on 2 November 2026 at the High Court in Milimani, where the question of who ultimately controls William Gakuo Njuguna’s wealth will be tested in open court.

What began as a private family disagreement has now become a public legal contest pitting one of Kenya’s most prominent political families against a widow who claims she has been pushed out of both her home and her late husband’s affairs.

The coming months will reveal whether the court accepts that the grant was obtained through concealment or whether it finds the widow’s position as sole administrator legally sound. For now, the battle over the Sh50 million estate remains unresolved, with both sides digging in for a protracted fight.