A renewed legal confrontation has emerged in the prolonged dispute over the multi-billion-shilling estate of the late powerful Cabinet minister, Mbiyu Koinange, centering this time on a prime property in the heart of Nairobi's Central Business District.

Margaret Njeri, one of Koinange’s widows, and her daughter Lennah Catherine, have taken legal action against fellow widow Eddah Wanjiru and her daughter Fiona Mbiyu.

They claim the duo has failed to account for vast sums of rental income collected from the contested land, now worth an estimated Sh2.4 billion.

The latest suit, filed at the Civil Court, reveals that Nairobi County has issued an auction notice over the property, citing over KSh40 million in unpaid land rates as of February 27, 2025.

Njeri and Catherine allege that unless urgent court intervention is granted, the estate stands to lose one of its most lucrative assets.

According to them, the land belongs to Koinange Investments Development Ltd, where the late politician held 32,000 shares, making him the largest shareholder.

They insist that the High Court previously ordered Eddah to disclose revenue collected over the last two decades, but the exact amount remains undisclosed.

Njeri and Catherine argue that the parking facility alone generates at least Sh5 million monthly, yet bills remain unpaid, and beneficiaries have seen no equitable distribution. They allege more than Sh1.2 billion remains unaccounted for.

The duo also seeks to have Koinange’s eldest son, David Njunu, removed from the company’s CR12 document, claiming a prior court finding determined he lacked legal capacity to sign official documents. His inclusion, they argue, was irregular and should be rectified by the registrar.

This fresh dispute comes amid an already tangled succession battle that has spanned over four decades since Koinange died in 1981 without a Will, leaving behind an estimated estate worth KSh30 billion.

The case has cycled through the hands of at least 26 judges, including now Chief Justice Martha Koome, who once likened the legal wrangling to a “theatre of the absurd” in a scathing 2005 ruling.

Koinange, a prominent figure in both Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi’s administrations, left behind a vast family and considerable wealth, including the contested Closeburn Estate.

The original parcel of 640.25 acres has since been subdivided, with large sections sold to the Aga Khan Group, Centum Ltd, and Karura Community Chapel.

In a recent ruling, Justice Eric Ogola reiterated that the estate should be divided equally among 12 named beneficiaries, rejecting attempts by Koinange’s sons to claim a larger share than their sisters.

He directed that a surveyor’s report on the Closeburn property be filed and ordered the opening of a joint account to manage funds held by the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority, aimed at settling the estate’s liabilities.

Justice Ogola, like his predecessor Justice Aggrey Muchelule (now a Court of Appeal judge), emphasized equality among beneficiaries regardless of gender and urged Kenyans to adopt a culture of drafting Wills to avoid similar drawn-out conflicts.

The current dispute over the city property adds to more than 50 legal suits that have stemmed from Koinange’s death. A separate legal wrangle involving lawyer Mwenda Njagi and Njunu over legal fees amounting to KSh500 million is also ongoing.

As the battle over the estate intensifies yet again, the courts remain the only arena where resolution seems possible albeit delayed.