The legal battle for the control of Fidel Odinga’s estate which pitted his widow Lwam Getachew Bekele against the family’s matriarch Ida Odinga has come to an end.
The two parties reached an out-of-court settlement for their disagreement bringing to an end a vicious court fight that not only threatened Raila’s political image but also gave fodder to tabloids.
In October 2019, Ida Odinga, through her lawyer, tried to stop the media from publishing details about Fidel’s property row but her efforts were thwarted by High Court judge Aggrey Muchelule.
Fidel Odinga estate row solved
Fidel’s widow Lwam Bekele has been granted full control of her late husband’s three properties including a villa in Karen after reaching an out-of-court settlement with Ida.
Bekele will hold the rest of the estate including cash in eight bank accounts, two cars, a plot in Kisumu and two investment firms in trust for the benefit of her son who is still a minor.
The new agreement however blocks Fidel’s widow from selling the assets. Also, income from the properties and cash in accounts can only be used for the benefit of her son — such as paying his school fees, medical, holiday expenses and clothing.
The out-of-court agreement also reportedly shows that Raila Odinga Junior has also been made joint administrator of the estate together with Fidel’s widow.
“That an administrator of the estate being Fahm Getachew Bekele be substituted with Raila Odinga Junior so as to have Lwam Getachew Bekele and Raila Odinga Junior as the administrators of the estate of the Fidel Castro Odhiambo Odinga,” the agreement read in part as quoted by Business Daily.
