(The Standard) - A former house help to a British tycoon has moved to court seeking to evict her former workmates after she inherited the house as part of a $540 million estate following the former owner's death.
Sarah Joslyn worked for Richard Ingram as a house help and secretary. Ingram, who had several other workers, died in 2014 leaving behind the massive estate that has been a centre of court battles for the last eight years.
Those that Joslyn has been fighting with over the property included the late Ingram's friends, partners and her former colleagues who have been living on the property for many years.
On October 19, 2021, Joslyn was on October 19, 2021, issued a grant of letters making her the administrator of Ingram’s estate located in Lanet, Nakuru County.
And now Joslyn has moved to court again seeking orders to evict over 20 families, of former employees of Ingram. Some of the families have lived on the property's servant quarters for over 40 years.'
In her application on Friday before Justice Samwel Mohochi, Joslyn said she has control of the estate and therefore has the right to do what she pleases with every property under the estate.
She said her former colleagues have no right to live on the property and that she wants them out. Joslyn said those she wants out have no ownership rights to the land.
“Even though they have said they have occupied the land for over 40 years, they were not given the land and have no right even under adverse possession,” she claims.
She said the workers were being paid and accommodated as servants and not as beneficiaries.
However, the workers have protested her move and are seeking to be recognized as beneficiaries of the estate.
They moved to court after mowers descended on the land and started demolishing some of their structures.
In her submission, Margaret Wanjiku, who is one of the former employees of Ingram, claims she and her co-workers have the right to own the land, having occupied it for more than 40 years.
Wanjiku said she had worked for Ingram and lived within his compound since 1972.
She claimed Ingram had promised to settle them on part of his land.
“This is our home, and it has been for many years. We do not have anywhere else to go. We believe we have the right to possess the land under adverse possession,” claims Wanjiku.
Ann Wanjiku, another former employee, maintains that Joslyn did not obtain the documents for the estate legally.
She accused Joslyn of going against the wishes of their former boss who wanted his workers to live comfortably on one of the properties.
"Ingram settled us in these houses and he was in the process of subdividing the land before he was attacked by thugs in 2007 and incapacitated,” she submits.
Daniel Kiriu claims the workers were not aware of the court proceedings when a ruling that Joslyn was the only beneficiary of the estate was made.
He says they only learnt that Joslyn had inherited Ingram’s estate when she attempted to evict them.
Ingram arrived in Kenya in the early 1950s. He, however, died a bachelor in 2014 aged 75 years.
He left behind properties, businesses, buildings and money in accounts and shares in companies, estimated to be worth $540 million.
Shares in Ingram Blue Cross Kennels Foundation form part of the estate.
By Daniel Chege
May 13, 2023
