Thirty-five children of former Rift Valley MP William Murgor have agreed to resolve out of court their dispute over his vast estate valued at more than Sh2 billion.

Family members including Keiyo North MP James Murgor have agreed to handle the dispute through a mediator. The late Murgor served as MP for Kerio Central before he died 10 years ago.

The deceased who was buried at his Kapkoi home in Elgeyo Marakwet county left behind five widows and 35 children among them 10 boys.

His daughters filed a suit at the High Court in Eldoret protesting that they had been sidelined in the sharing of his estate.

The succession matter was presided over by Justice Hellen Omondi before it was referred to mediation.

The judge advised the family to resolve the matter through mediation. The process will be chaired by Kadina Robert whose name was presented at the High Court by the family members.

They had differed over the estate which includes large tracts of land in Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet and commercial plots in Eldoret.

Some of the deceased’s daughters argued the MP who is the administrator of the estate had left out some of the family members.

In a suit filed by Enit Murgor on behalf of her siblings, they have accused their elder brother of being biased against his stepsisters and brothers in the sharing of the estate.

Enit in her court documents said the distribution of her father’s wealth had been done in total disregard of Keiyo customary laws which require such wealth in cases of polygamy to be shared out among all family members.

“He favored his own family to the extreme detriment of other households yet as siblings we are all entitled to get a share of the property,” said Enit who filed the suit through lawyer Phillip Murgor.

Enit lives in the United States but twice this year has flown back into the country for the hearing of the case.

“The distribution does not provide adequately for all known beneficiaries and in particular has left out two sons of the deceased, namely Ambrose Murgor and Oscah Murgor,” Enit says.

But one of the sons, Francis Murgor, told the court the distribution of the assets had been done as per the will of the father. The will was however disputed in court by the daughters who claimed it was not genuine.

“Now that the matter has been referred to a mediator we are happy with that because as a family we will meet and talk to each other so that we reach an amicable solution", Francis said.

MATHEWS NDANYI/The Star