Members of Parliament have overwhelmingly supported an amendment bill seeking to bar secrete husbands and wives claiming recognition and property inheritance when a person dies.
The proposal to amend the Law of Succession Act, which is sponsored by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma wants inheritance to be limited to legally married couples, their children and extended family.
“The principal object of this Bill is to amend the Law of Succession Act to give legitimate dependants of a deceased person a claim and a right in the deceased’s intestate estate. The main aim of the Bill is to avoid situations where opportunistic schemers successfully claim a stake in a deceased person’s estate hence disenfranchising the legitimate heirs of the deceased,” Mr Kaluma said.
While supporting the bill yesterday, lawmakers revealed that they have been embarrassed at drama experienced at their colleagues’ burials where unknown women pop up claiming recognition.
The MPs said the strangers reap where they did not saw while leaving untold suffering to widows and children of wealthy husbands.
“The bill seeks to provide clarity on who a dependent of deceased person it. It gives stronger protection to the spouse, children and extended family of a deceased person in succession matters,”Kaluma added.
Nyando MP Jared Okello said that the bill would put on notice slay queens who targeted lawmakers’ property.
“Now they need to know that as they enjoy the trappings of power, opulence and wealth, they should just enjoy it as it last for now but not for posterity.”
On his part, Nyaribari Chache MP Richard Tongi noted that it was sad that a clique of women would contribute nothing towards wealth acquisition only to claim a share when the man dies.
” We have women outside there who do nothing apart from their beauty but would be quick to rush to court demanding property when the man dies leaving the legal wife suffering.”
The legislatures pointed out to the case of former Kibra MP Ken Okoth whose burial was marred with drama when nominated MCA Anne Thumbi moved to court seeking recognition of a child she got with the deceased.
A similar scenario was witnessed with the death of Matungu MP Justus Murunga.
The MPs overwhelmingly supported the need to limit dependents entitled to property inheritance whether or not they were supported by the deceased before his death.
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