Nairobi, Kenya — The courtroom drama over the estate of the late powerful Cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae took a surprising new twist this week as another elderly man stepped forward at the Milimani Law Courts, claiming to be the lawful husband of Margaret Chweya—and the biological father of her son.
This fresh claim comes just days after a different man made a similar assertion in the same courtroom, leaving observers and the court itself puzzling over one central question: who exactly is Margaret Chweya’s real husband?
Jacob Michuki Mokaya, the latest claimant, appeared before Justice Eric Ogola and testified that he married Margaret in 1973 under Kisii customary law while working as a warder at the Prisons Training College. He told the court that the relationship, which allegedly began through an introduction by Margaret’s brother, lasted until 1978 when they separated and went their separate ways.
“I used to provide for Margaret and my son Rowney,” Mokaya said during his testimony. But he also admitted that after their separation, they completely lost touch. “There has been no communication since 1975. Even if I meet my son today, I wouldn’t recognize him,” he added. “Old age has set in—I don’t even know if he’s still alive. I hold no grudge against my son. If he comes to me, I’ll be happy to see him because he is my blood.”
Pressed during cross-examination, Mokaya acknowledged that although their union followed traditional Kisii customs, he never fulfilled key obligations like paying dowry, including the culturally significant exchange of cows. He also maintained that they had a child together, whom he named Samuel Onyancha.
However, when the court presented him with a school report card bearing the name David Chweya, Mokaya was unable to explain the name difference and provided no documentation to show that he had supported the child’s education or upbringing.
This latest development casts more uncertainty on Margaret Chweya’s long-standing claim to be the widow of Simeon Nyachae—a claim she has defended vigorously as she seeks recognition and a share of the late politician’s vast estate.
With conflicting testimonies mounting, the court faces the difficult task of untangling a web of personal histories, traditional customs, and legal claims. Judge Eric Ogola must now determine not just the legitimacy of Margaret’s alleged marriage to Nyachae, but also whether she was married to someone else altogether—and what that might mean for her claim to the inheritance.
The outcome could have major implications for how succession cases involving customary law, disputed paternity, and overlapping claims are handled in the Kenyan judicial system.
By Kelly Were
