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A Kenyan High Court has finally settled a nearly decade-long inheritance dispute involving the vast estate of late politician and businessman Mark Kiptarbei Too, officially recognizing a previously disputed daughter as a legitimate beneficiary of his multibillion-shilling fortune.
In a landmark ruling delivered in Eldoret, the court declared Chepkoech Too a biological daughter of the late former nominated Member of Parliament, clearing the way for her to claim a share of an estate estimated to be worth more than Sh7 billion.
The judgment follows conclusive DNA results confirming that Chepkoech shares the same father as Arafat Mohammed Bakari, one of the already recognized children of the late political heavyweight.
Chepkoech’s legal battle began shortly after the death of Mark Kiptarbei Too in December 2016.
Too, a powerful figure during the administration of former president Daniel arap Moi, left behind enormous wealth and a complex family structure that quickly triggered a fierce succession dispute.
At the time of his death, the former legislator was survived by two widows and several children. However, Chepkoech was excluded from the original list of beneficiaries, with members of the family arguing they did not recognise her as a daughter of the deceased.
Determined to prove her lineage, the Eldoret-based woman moved to court in 2016 seeking orders for DNA testing to establish paternity and secure her rightful place among the heirs.
The court later ordered a sibling DNA test after determining that exhuming the late politician’s body for testing would not be practical.
Samples taken from Chepkoech were compared with those of Arafat Mohammed Bakari, one of the acknowledged sons of the late politician.
The results confirmed that the two are biological half-siblings, sharing the same father.
Based on the scientific evidence, the High Court ruled that Chepkoech is indeed a biological daughter of the late politician and must therefore be included among the beneficiaries of the estate.
The estate left behind by Mark Kiptarbei Too is among the largest and most complex succession cases involving a Kenyan political figure.
Court records show the wealth includes dozens of prime properties and expansive agricultural investments spread across the Rift Valley and Nairobi.
The assets include numerous farms across Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Trans Nzoia and Nakuru counties, high-value residential homes in Nairobi, Nakuru and Eldoret, fleets of vehicles, tractors and trailers used in his agribusiness operations, as well as shares in several companies.
The late politician was widely known for his vast farming empire, which spanned dairy, wheat and maize production across the Rift Valley.
For Chepkoech Too, the ruling marks the end of a long and emotionally draining legal battle for recognition and inheritance rights.
The judgment now clears the way for the continuation of the succession proceedings and eventual distribution of the late politician’s vast empire among all legally recognised heirs.
Legal observers say the ruling also reinforces the growing role of DNA evidence in resolving inheritance disputes, particularly in cases involving children born outside formal marriages—an issue that has increasingly surfaced in high-profile succession battles across Kenya.