Court declares twin daughters of late ex-minister Soita Shitanda legal heirs in succession dispute

A family court has ruled that the twin daughters of the late former Housing Minister and Malava MP, Soita Shitanda, should be recognised as his rightful heirs.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Hillary Chemitei, the court found that the two had demonstrated that Shitanda supported them during his lifetime.

The judge cited evidence from a magistrate’s court confirming that the late politician had contributed to their upbringing.

"In the premises, and barring any other evidence or technicalities which I think the petitioners are raising, I hold that the objectors are the deceased's children and, for all intents and purposes, entitled to his estate", the judge ruled.

Shitanda’s wife, Betty Glorious Soita, along with her two children, Peter Ngaira and Terence Shitanda, filed a succession case in court.

However, two women—now 24-year-old twins—objected to the petition, claiming they were also children of the late politician.

They told the court that their mother, Agnes Nduku Kiuvu, had been married to Shitanda and that he had supported them while he was alive.

One of the twins testified virtually, stating they were born in 2001 and were confident that Shitanda was their biological father.

In response, Glorious maintained she was Shitanda’s only wife, saying they were first married under customary law and later formalised their union through a civil ceremony at the Attorney General’s office.

She denied knowing the twins, saying she first heard of them through the media during Shitanda’s funeral.

However, the judge ruled that the objection was valid and declared that the twins would be recognised as the deceased’s children for all intents and purposes.

"A joint grant is hereby issued to the petitioners, and this matter is to be gazetted forthwith."