Family Feud: Children Accuse Preacher’s Partner in Inheritance Dispute

The children of a preacher, who operates churches in Kenya and Uganda, have taken legal action against their father concerned that he is being influenced by his new partner to disinherit them.

The Kakamega Principal Magistrate court has issued a court order preventing Muchenda from selling the family’s jointly-owned land, estimated to be worth millions, where the family home is situated. Wilson Omucheyi and Butler Ebole, the preacher’s children, allege that their father hastily attempted to sell the property following the death of their mother, Agnes Jabea, on March 17. The court injunction, obtained on December 18, aims to safeguard their interest in the family’s valuable asset.

Court documents, filed by lawyer Edwin Wafula, reveal that the family, including the father, late mother, and other siblings, jointly acquired Land No Butsotso/Shikoti/1874. The sons assert they made substantial developments on the property and peacefully coexisted with their father until their mother’s demise. Despite the family’s shared history, the 77-year-old preacher, who heads the Overcoming Faith Centre Baptist Churches, has insisted that his children recognize his new partner, Adema, as their mother.

He has gone as far as making wedding arrangements with Adema, demanding that his children vacate the family home along with their other siblings, leaving him behind with his new partner. Communication attempts by the children have been met with hostility and confrontation from their father, raising suspicions of collaboration with Adema to hinder their access to the family home. Meanwhile, proper burial rites for their late mother remain unfulfilled at the homestead.

The children argue that their father actively seeks a buyer for the jointly-owned home, with numerous interested parties already expressing interest. This prospect is particularly distressing for them, as the property is their only home, jointly owned by the family. The scheduled hearing for this complex and emotionally charged case is set for January 15, presided over by Principal Magistrate Joseph Ndururi.