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The High Court in Eldoret has summoned Uasin Gishu Land Registrar in a succession case pitting two widows of former colonial-era paramount chief Kibor arap Talai who are battling over the control of his Sh3.5 billion estates in the region.

Justice Reuben Nyakundi directed the government official to come to court in person on May 21 to shed light on the current status of the multi-billion shillings disputed property.

The two widows, Tapyotin Talai, 84 who has since died and Irene Talai, 54 are entangled in a court feud spanning twelve years over the control of the deceased’s estate

The late paramount chief died in 2012 after battling diabetes related complications. His demise triggered the court battles among his widows over the management of the estate he left behind.

Justice Nyakundi’s order follows concern raised by the children of the first family who claimed that the land had been sub-divided into 150 plots by the second widow, Irene Talai on the strength of a disputed Will.

Irene is said to have apportioned herself the lion’s share in the distribution of the land which is at the centre of a long standing dispute.

Giving her evidence in Court Nancy Talai, the elder daughter of the late paramount chief accused her step mother of forging the Will which she used to apportion to herself and her three children a lion share of the deceased estate.

She told the court that her step mother did not contribute anything to the acquisition of the vast estate that is spread in Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.

“Our step mother has never shared even a single cent to the first family from the more than Sh60 million she has collected from rental income of various commercial plots in Eldoret ,” said Nancy.

Nancy and her five siblings also dismissed as fake a Will presented in court by their step mother that is said to have been written by their father before he died.

She said they had been vindicated by a Chief Inspector of police attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation ( DCI ) in Nairobi in his evidence for three years where he formed the opinion that the document was forged.

The DCI officer Daniel Gutu who has since retired, had told the court that the signature on the Will purported to have been left behind by the deceased was forged.

He told Justice Nyakundi that after analysing the signature on a specimen dated he concluded that it was a sham.

However, Irene has defended the Will which she says indicated clearly how he wished to have his estate shared between the two houses.

According to Irene, the deceased gifted her prime land near Moi University on which stands commercial business premises including a Safaricom mast.