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MOUNT KENYA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF LAW

PARKLANDS CAMPUS

LAW OF SUCCESSION

DENNING OKATO – CORDINATOR

GROUP MEMBERS ADMISION NUMBER SIGNATURE

MAUREEN ATIENO DLAW/2018/31232

JOHN ANASWA DLAW/2018/21144

DENNIS MWENDA DLAW/2018/32992

TYSON KINOTI DLAW/2018/27858

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DOCTRINE OF ESCHEAT

(bonavacantia)

Section 39 of the Law Of Succession Act: where intestate

has left no surviving spouse or children, the net intestate
estate shall devolve upon the kindred of the intestate in
the following order of priority

A ) Fa t h e r ; o r i f d e a d
B) Mother; or if dead
C) Brothers and sisters, any child or children of deceased
brothers or sisters, in equal shares or if none
D ) H a l f- b r o t h e r s a n d s i s t e r s a n d c h i l d o r c h i l d r e n o f
d e c e a s e d h a l f- b r o t h e r s o r s i s t e r s i n e q u a l s h a r e s o r i f
none
E ) T h e re l a t i v e s w h o a r e i n t h e n e a r e s t d e g r e e o f
consanguinity up to and including the sixth degree in
equal shares

( 2 ) Fa i l i n g s u r v i v a l b y a n y o f t h e p e r s o n m e n t i o n e d i n
paragraphs (a) to (E) of subsection (1) the net intestate
shall devolve upon the state and be paid into the
consolidated fund.

The Doctrine of Escheat refers to the transfer of estate

assets or property to the state in the event that an
individual dies intestate or without a will and legal heirs.

P O LY G A M Y- H O W P R O P E RT Y I S D I V I D E D I N P O LY G A M Y

Section 40 of the Law Of Succession Act: where intestate

was polygamous

(1) W h e re a n i n t e s t a t e h a s m a r r i e d m o re t h a n o n c e
under any system of law permitting polygamy, his
p e r s o n a l a n d h o u s e h o l d e ff e c t s a n d t h e re s i d u e o f t h e
n e t i n t e s t a t e e s t a t e s h a l l i n t h e fi r s t i n s t a n c e b e
divided among the houses according to the number of
the children in each house, but also adding any wife
surviving him as an additional unit to the number of
the children

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(2) The distribution of the personal and household

e ff e c t s a n d t h e r e s i d u e o f t h e n e t i n t e s t a t e e s t a t e
within house shall be in accordance with the rules set
out in Sections 35 to 38

In RONO VS RONO AND ANOTHER , the deceased was

s u r v i v e d b y h i s t w o w i d o w s a n d n i n e c h i l d r e n . T h e fi r s t
w i d o w t h re e s o n s a n d t w o d a u g h t e r s w h i l e t h e s e c o n d
w i d o w h a d f o u r d a u g h t e r s . T h e fi r s t h o u s e s o u g h t t o h a v e
the estate held in accordance with customary law which
meant that the second house was entitled to a small share
s i n c e d a u g h t e r s a re n o t e n t i t l e d u n d e r c u s t o m a r y l a w t o
inherit their deceased parents. The Court Of Appeal held
t h a t c u s t o m a r y d i d n o t a p p l y. T h e a p p l i c a b l e l a w w a s
s e c t i o n 4 0 o f t h e A c t w h i c h m a ke s p r o v i s i o n s f o r
distribution of the net estate to the houses according to the
number of children in each house but adding any wife as an
additional unit to the number of children. Omolo JA stated
that section 40 did not require that the estate be divided
equally between the houses as the provision calls for the
consideration of the number of children in each house.

I n Ru ku n g a V s Ru ku n g a ; t h e p e t i t i o n e r , S a m s o n K i o g o r a fi l e d
a n a p p l i c a t i o n f o r c o n fi r m a t i o n o f g r a n t w h i c h r e c e i v e d t h e
protest from ConsolataNtibuka. Consolata was the daughter
of ZipporahGaiti deceased. As it can be seen from the list
o f b e n e fi c i a r i e s t h e d e c e a s e d i n t h i s e s t a t e l e f t s u r v i v i n g
him and daughters and sons. He in his lifetime was married
to more than one wife but only one survived him namely
ZipporahGaiti now deceased. The proposed mode of
distribution suggested by Kiogora made no provision for
daughters of the deceased. Consolatas protest was on
grounds that although she was at one time married in 1981
she got divorced and returned to her deceased fathers land.
M o r e s p e c i fi c a l l y s h e s t a t e d t h a t s h e l i v e d o n w h a t w e r e h e r
deceased mother’s portions of land. She had further stated
t h a t s h e l i v e s a n d c u l t i v a t e s t h e re s t o f h e r l a t e m o t h e r ’ s
portions of land.

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D U T I E S A N D P O W E R S O F P E R S O N A L R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S

( A D M I N I S T RAT O R S A N D E X E C U T E R S )

Section 82 of the Law Of Succession Act: powers of personal

r e p re s e n t a t i v e s

Pe r s o n a l re p r e s e n t a t i v e s s h a l l , s u b j e c t o n l y t o a n y
limitation imposed by their grant, have the following
powers

A ) To e n f o r c e , b y s u i t o r o t h e r w i s e , a l l c a u s e o f a c t i o n
which , by virtue of any law, survive the deceased or
a r i s i n g o u t o f h i s d e a t h f o r h i s p e r s o n a l re p r e s e n t a t i v e
B ) To s e l l o r o t h e r w i s e t u r n t o a c c o u n t s o f a r a s s e e m s
n e c e s s a r y o r d e s i r a b l e i n t h e e xe c u t i o n o f t h e i r d u t i e s
all or any part of assets vested in them as they think
best

Provided that

1) Any purchase by them of any such assets shall be

voidable at the instance of any other person interested
in the assets so purchased and
2) No immovable property shall be sold before
c o n fi r m a t i o n o f t h e g r a n t

C ) To a s s e n t a t a n y t i m e a f t e r c o n fi r m a t i o n o f t h e g r a n t t o
t h e v e s t i n g o f a s p e c i fi c l e g a c y i n t h e l e g a t e e t h e r e f o r
D ) To a p p r o p r i a t e a t a n y t i m e a f t e r c o n fi r m a t i o n o f t h e
grant any of the assets vested in them in the actual
condition or state of investment thereof at the time of
appropriation in or towards satisfaction of any legacy
bequeathed by the deceased or any other interest or
share in his estate, whether or not the subject of a
continuing trust, as to them may seem just and
r e a s o n a b l e t o t h e m a c c o r d i n g t o t h e re s p e c t i v e r i g h t s
of the persons interested in the estate of the
d e c e a s e d , a n d f o r t h a t p u r p o s e t o a s c e r t a i n a n d fi x
( w i t h t h e a s s i s t a n c e o f a d u l y q u a l i fi e d v a l u e r , w h e r e
n e c e s s a r y ) t h e v a l u e o f t h e re s p e c t i v e a s s e t s a n d

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l i a b i l i t i e s o f s u c h e s t a t e a n d t o m a ke a n y t r a n s f e r
w h i c h m a y b e re q u i s i t e f o r g i v i n g e ff e c t t o s u c h
appropriation

Provided that except so far as otherwise expressly provided

by any will

1 ) N o a p p r o p r i a t i o n s h a l l b e m a d e s o a s t o e ff e c t
a d v e r s e l y a n y s p e c i fi c l e g a c y
2 ) N o a p p r o p r i a t i o n s h a l l b e m a d e f o r t h e b e n e fi t o f a
p e r s o n a b s o l u t e l y a n d b e n e fi c i a l l y e n t i t l e d i n
possession without his consent, nor for the purpose of
a continuing trust without the consent of either the
trustees thereof (not being the personal
r e p re s e n t a t i v e s t h e m s e l v e s ) o r t h e p e r s o n f o r t h e t i m e
being entitled to the income thereof unless the person
w h o s e c o n s e n t i s s o re q u i r e d i s a m i n o r o r o f u n s o u n d
mind in which case consent on his behalf by his parent
or guardian (if any) or by the manager of his estate (if
any) or by the court shall be required.

D U T I E S O F P E R S O N A L R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S

Section 83 of the Law Of Succession Act provides for

p e r s o n a l re p r e s e n t a t i v e s s h a l l h a v e t h e f o l l o w i n g d u t i e s

A ) To p r o v i d e a n d p a y o u t o f t h e e s t a t e o f t h e d e c e a s e d
t h e e x p e n s e s o f a re a s o n a b l e f u n e r a l f o r h i m
B ) To g e t i n a l l f r e e p r o p e r t y o f t h e d e c e a s e d i n c l u d i n g
debts owing to him and moneys payable to his personal
r e p re s e n t a t i v e s b y re a s o n o f h i s d e a t h
C ) To p a y o u t o f t h e e s t a t e o f t h e d e c e a s e d a l l e x p e n s e s
of obtaining their grant of representatives and all
other reasonable expenses of administration (including
estate duty if any)
D ) To a s c e r t a i n a n d p a y o u t o f t h e e s t a t e o f t h e d e c e a s e d
all his debt
E) Within six months from the date of the grant to
produce to the court a full and accurate inventory of

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the assets and liabilities of the deceased and a full

and accurate account of all dealings therewith up to
the date of the account
F) Subject to section 55 to distribute or to retain on trust
(as the case may require) all assets remaining after
payment of expenses and debts as provided by the
preceding paragraphs of this section and the income
t h e r e f r o m a c c o r d i n g t o t h e r e s p e c t i v e b e n e fi c i a l
interests therein under the will or on intestacy as the
case maybe
G ) W i t h i n s i x m o n t h s f r o m t h e d a t e o f c o n fi r m a t i o n o f t h e
grant or such longer period as the court may allow to
c o m p l e t e t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f t h e e s t a t e i n re s p e c t o f
all matters other than continuing trust and to produce
to the court a full and accurate account of the
completed administration
H ) To p r o d u c e t o t h e c o u r t i f re q u i r e d b y t h e c o u r t e i t h e r
of its own motion or on the application of any
interested party in the estate a full and accurate
inventory of the assets and liabilities of the deceased
and a full and accurate account of all dealings
therewith up to the date of the account
I ) To c o m p l e t e t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f t h e e s t a t e i n r e s p e c t
of all matters other than continuing trusts and if
required by the court either of its own motion or on the
application of any interested party in the estate to
produce to the court a full and accurate account of the
completed administration

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