A civil court will now hear an application challenging its jurisdiction to entertain a family dispute between the children of late business tycoon Njenga Karume and trustees

Karume's three children had filed a contempt petition seeking to commit the trustees their father's estate to Civil Jail, for disobeying a court order barring them from interfering with family assets, pending a determination of case before the court. The judge directed the matter be heard May 21.

The children have been involved in a protracted court battle with the trustees and executors of Karume's last will over the management of te multi- billion shillings businesses in real estate, agriculture, transport and hotel industry.