[2023] KEHC 26208 (KLR)
The court found that the omission of certain assets from the confirmed grant and the inclusion of an asset not registered in the deceased's name constituted errors that fall within the scope of rectification permitted by section 74 of the Law of Succession Act and Rule 43(1) of the Probate and Administration Rules....
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2023] KEHC 26208 (KLR)
- Parties
- Applicant: Sigismond K. Njeru; Applicant: Henry Paul Ireri Njeru; Applicant: Christina Warue Njeru
- Court
- High Court
- Court Station
- High Court at Meru
- Jurisdiction
- Kenya
- Case Number
- Succession Cause 23 of 2023
- Procedural Posture
- Succession Cause / Ruling on Summons for Rectification of Grant
- Outcome
- Application for rectification of grant allowed.
- Judges
- TW Cherere
- Legal Topics
- Rectification of Grant, Probate and Administration, Omission of Assets, Consent of Beneficiaries
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Sigismond K. Njeru
Applicant
Henry Paul Ireri Njeru
Applicant
Christina Warue Njeru
Applicant
Procedural Posture
Succession Cause / Ruling on Summons for Rectification of Grant
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the court should rectify the confirmed grant to include omitted assets and remove an asset not registered in the deceased's name.
- 2 Whether the rectification sought falls within the scope permitted by section 74 of the Law of Succession Act and Rule 43(1) of the Probate and Administration Rules.
Ratio Decidendi
The court found that the omission of certain assets from the confirmed grant and the inclusion of an asset not registered in the deceased's name constituted errors that fall within the scope of rectification permitted by section 74 of the Law of Succession Act and Rule 43(1) of the Probate and Administration Rules. The applicants provided sufficient evidence, including search certificates and the consent of all adult beneficiaries, to support the rectification. The court held that the rectification was merited and ordered the removal of the asset not belonging to the deceased and the inclusion of the omitted assets, with further directions on the registration and charging of the assets...
Court Disposition
Application for rectification of grant allowed.
Orders
- Ntima/Igoki/4330 shall be deleted from the list of deceased’s assets.
- The grant shall be rectified to include the specified omitted assets.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
99 paragraphs
In re Estate of Protasio Njeru (Deceased) (Succession Cause 23 of 2023) [2023] KEHC 26208 (KLR) (30 November 2023) (Ruling)
Neutral citation: [2023] KEHC 26208 (KLR)
Republic of Kenya
In the High Court at Meru
Succession Cause 23 of 2023
TW Cherere, J
November 30, 2023
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF PROTASIO NJERU (DECEASED) AND IN THE MATTER OF SUMMONS FOR CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF ADMINISTRATION TESTATE (WITH WILL ANNEXED).
In the matter of
Sigismond K. Njeru
1st Petitioner
Henry Paul Ireri Njeru
2nd Petitioner
Christina Warue Njeru
3rd Petitioner
Ruling
Brief Facts 1. The grant in this matter was confirmed on 23rd November, 2023. Petitioners by summons for rectification dated and filed on 27th November, 2023 by seek orders of rectification on the grounds That:(1)The following properties were omitted as an oversighti.Nyambene/Kirindine A/2073ii.Nyambene/Kirindine A/2597iii.Nyambene/Kirindine A/3644iv.Nyambene/Kirindine A/3803v.Tigania East/Ankamia/4794,vi.Tigania East/Ankamia/5975,vii.Tigania, East/Ankamia/8296,viii.Tigania East/Ankamia/5091,ix.Tigania East/Ankamia/5477x.Tigania East/Ankamia/9532,xi.Tigania East/Ankamia/5464,xii.Tigania East/Ankamia/5474,xiii.Tigania East/Ankamia/5475,xiv.Tigania East/Ankamia/5476,xv.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/199xvi.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/544,xvii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/649,xviii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/690,xix.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/701xx.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/723,xxi.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1080xxii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1189,xxiii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1585xxiv.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1586(2)The Petitioners have discovered that LR. Ntima/Igoki/4330 which was included among deceased’s assets is not registered in his name.
2. The summons is supported by a joint affidavit sworn by the Petitioners Sigismond.K. Njeru, Christina Warue Njeru and Henry Paul Njeru on 27th November, 2023. Annexed to the affidavit is a consent to the rectification signed by the Petitioners and the other two adult beneficiaries Lawrence Christopher Njeru and Antony Murithi Njeru on 27th November, 2023.
3. Rectification of grants is provided for in section 74 of the Law of Succession Act, Cap 160, Laws of Kenya and Rule 43(1) of the Probate and Administration Rules. Section 74 provides as follows:74. Errors may be rectified by court:Errors in names and descriptions, or in setting forth the time and place of the deceased’s death, or the purpose in a limited grant, may be rectified by the court, and the grant of representation, whether before or after confirmation, may be altered and amended accordingly.”Rule 43(1) provides as follows:“Where the holder of a grant seeks pursuant to the provisions of section 74 of the Act rectification of an error in the grant as to the names or descriptions of any person or thing or as to the time or place of death of the deceased or, in the case of a limited grant, the purpose for which the grant was made, he shall apply by summons in Form 110 for such rectification through the registry and in the cause in which the grant was made.”
4. From the language of section 74 of the Law of Succession Act and Rule 43(1) of the Probate and Administration Rules, the scope of rectification of grants of representation is limited to errors in names and descriptions, or in setting forth the time and place of the deceased’s death, or the purpose in a limited grant. I may add that such other minor errors in that genre could also be rectified. (See In the matter of the estate of Geoffrey Kinuthia Nyamwinga (deceased) [2013] eKLR and In the matter of the estate of Hasalon Mwangi Kahero [2013] eKLR.
5. In compliance with a court order dated 27th November, 2023, Petitioners filed search certificates for LR. Ntima/Igoki/4330 which is in the name of Peter Maina Ngure and for assets in (1) (i) to (xxvi) above all of which are in the name of the deceased Protasio Njeru and I therefore find that the rectification is merited in the circumstances.
Orders 6. Accordingly, for the reasons set out above, it is hereby ordered:1. Ntima/Igoki/4330 shall be deleted from the list of deceased’s assets2. The grant shall be rectified to include the following assets:i.Nyambene/Kirindine A/2073ii.Nyambene/Kirindine A/2597iii.Nyambene/Kirindine A/3644iv.Nyambene/Kirindine A/3803v.Tigania East/Ankamia/4794,vi.Tigania East/Ankamia/5975,vii.Tigania, East/Ankamia/8296,viii.Tigania East/Ankamia/5091,ix.Tigania East/Ankamia/5477x.Tigania East/Ankamia/9532,xi.Tigania East/Ankamia/5464,xii.Tigania East/Ankamia/5474,xiii.Tigania East/Ankamia/5475,xiv.Tigania East/Ankamia/5476,xv.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/199xvi.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/544,xvii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/649,xviii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/690,xix.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/701xx.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/723,xxi.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1080xxii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1189,xxiii.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1585xxiv.Kiegoi/Kinyanka/15863. The assets in order (2) (i) to (xxiv) above shall be registered in the names of Sigismond.K. Njeru, Christina Warue Njeru and Henry Paul Njeru to hold in trust for all beneficiaries of Njeru Industries Ltd.4. The assets in order (2) (i) to (vii) above shall be charged to Belgian Development Cooperation for purposes of preserving the estate5. The assets in order (2) (viii) to (xiv) above shall be charged to Family Bank Ltd for purposes of preserving the estate6. The assets in order (2) (xv) to (xxiv) above shall be charged to Oiko Credit for purposes of preserving the estate7. Grant of Probate shall issue as ordered on 23rd November, 2023 and as rectified by these orders.8. Mention on 29th February, 2024 to confirm compliance with these orders9. Costs shall be in the cause
Schedule A (Amended) a. Immovable Assets 1. Ntima/Igoki/1880
2. Ntima/Igoki/4331
3. Ntima/Igoki/4007
4. Ntima/Igoki/2050
5. Ntima/Igoki/2134
6. Ntima/Igoki/2136
7. Ntima/Igoki/779
8. Ntima/Igoki/2043
9. Ntima/Igoki/2135
10. Kiegoi/Kinyanka /544
11. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/649
12. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/723
13. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1189
14. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/690
15. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1586
16. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/199
17. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1080
18. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1585
19. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/701
20. Nyambene/Kirindine A/4598
21. Nyambene/Kirindine A/2799
22. Nyambene/Kirindine A/1146
23. Nyambene/Kirindine A/74
24. Nyambene/Kirindine A/118
25. Nyambene/Kirindine A/169
26. Nyambene/Kirindine A/141
27. Nyambene/Kirindine A/88
28. Nyambene/Kirindine A/2073
29. Nyambene/Kirindine A/2597
30. Nyambene/Kirindine A/3644
31. Nyambene/Kirindine A/3803
32. Nyaki/Giaki/60
33. Nyaki/Giaki/1148
34. Nyaki/Giaki/1635
35. Nyaki/Giaki/1864
36. Nyaki/Giaki/2753
37. Nyaki/Thuura/2408
38. Nyambene/Kirindine A/2073
39. Nyambene/Kirindine A/2597
40. Nyambene/Kirindine A/3644
41. Nyambene/Kirindine A/3803
42. Tigania East/Ankamia/4794
43. Tigania East/Ankamia/5975
44. Tigania, East/Ankamia/8296
45. Tigania East/Ankamia/5091
46. Tigania East/Ankamia/5477
47. Tigania East/Ankamia/9532
48. Tigania East/Ankamia/5464
49. Tigania East/Ankamia/5474
50. Tigania East/Ankamia/5475
51. Tigania East/Ankamia/5476
52. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/199
53. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/544
54. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/649
55. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/690
56. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/701
57. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/723
58. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1080
59. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1189
60. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1585
61. Kiegoi/Kinyanka/1586
Schedule B Liabilities 1. I &M Bank Limited - USD 9,500,000/-
2. Incofin Inclusive Finance Fund Sa, Sicav-Raif - Agri-Finance Liquidity - USD 2,200,000/-
3. Oikocredit, Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society–Usd 3,000,000/-
4. Family Bank Ltd - KES. 21,800,757/-
5. Solution Sacco Society Ltd – KES. 3,965,896/-
6. Chai Sacco Society Ltd - KES. 2,560,150/
7. NCBA Bank Kenya Plc - KES. 8,265,438/-
8. Co-Operative Bank (K) Ltd - KES. 1,146,186/-
9. Equity Bank Kenya Ltd - KES. 150,000,000/-
10. Salaries - KES. 7,200,000/
11. Farmers Payment - KES. 1,209,619/-
12. Power and Lighting Co. Ltd - KES. 3,506,015/-
13. Student Fees for Dependents - KES. 779,936/-
14. Firewood Suppliers - KES. 2,889,193/-
15. Medical Operation Bill - KES. 5,000,000/-(Total estimated value KES. 2,442,723,190/- (Two billion, four hundred forty-two million, seven hundred twenty-three thousand, one hundred ninety.)
DATED AT MERU 30TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2023WAMAE. T. W. CHEREREJUDGEAppearancesFor Applicants –Mr. Anampiu for Ayub K. Anampiu & Company Advocates