High Court to Rule on Contested Will of Late Paramount Chief Kibor arap Talai Worth Sh3.5 Billion
“Our expert analysis showed inconsistencies in the signature, which raise serious questions about the document’s validity,”
Irene Talai the second wdow of colonial era paramopunt chief Kibor arap Tatala during a court session in a battle over the sharing of the deceased's sh 3.5 billion estate among his feuding family members that is spread in Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
The High Court in Eldoret is set to deliver a landmark ruling on September 22, 2025, in a high-stakes succession battle over a disputed will allegedly written by the late Kibor arap Talai, a former colonial-era paramount chief and influential Uasin Gishu businessman. The will is at the center of a decade-long legal dispute over the distribution of his Sh3.5 billion estate.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi is expected to decide whether the controversial will—purportedly assigning a large portion of the estate to Talai’s second wife, Irene Talai—is valid or a forgery, as claimed by the children from his first marriage.
The late Kibor Talai, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 95, left behind a vast estate comprising more than 2,000 acres of land in Kesses, a sprawling ranch in Lelan (Elgeyo Marakwet), and commercial plots near Moi University, among other properties. He was also the Uasin Gishu County chairman of the Ford-Kenya party.
Irene Talai, the second wife and mother of three children, is accused by her stepchildren of allocating herself the lion’s share of the estate based on a disputed will. She insists, however, that the will is authentic and that her husband was of sound mind when he dictated its contents.
“The deceased gifted me the prime land near Moi University on which stands several commercial premises before he died. There is no way I will share it with my first wife,” Irene told the court during the hearing.
She objected to an application seeking forensic analysis of the will, arguing that such an examination would unjustly deny her what she believes to be her rightful inheritance.
However, forensic evidence presented by the prosecution appears to challenge the authenticity of the document. Retired Chief Inspector Daniel Gutu, a former document examiner at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi, testified that the signature on the will was likely forged.
“Our expert analysis showed inconsistencies in the signature, which raise serious questions about the document’s validity,” Gutu stated in court during a session held three years ago.
The legal challenge is being spearheaded by Caroline Jepkogei, the granddaughter of the late tycoon and daughter of his now-deceased first wife, Tapyatin Talai. She stepped in after her mother’s death to represent the interests of the first household, which includes five children.
Nancy Talai, another daughter from the first house, testified that the estate was the result of decades of hard work by both her parents.
“My father was a teacher before he became a paramount chief. My mother worked as a cook at the same college. Together, they built the empire without help from anyone else,” she told the court.
The court’s decision is expected to not only settle the long-running family feud but also set a precedent in succession cases involving contested wills and multibillion-shilling estates.
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