On Tuesday, three children of the late Lizzie Muthoni Wanyoike received a stern warning from clergy members against battling for the billions left behind by their deceased mother.
The children in question are Antony Wanyoike, Stella Njoroge, and Eric Kariuki.
Mrs. Wanyoike passed away on January 14, 2024, after battling Fallopian tube cancer.
During the funeral service of the prominent investor and founder of the Nairobi Institute of Technology and Business Studies and Emory Restaurant, the clergy, led by Bishop Julius Njuguna of the Thika Diocese and his counterpart Joel Waweru of Nairobi, cautioned that they would closely monitor how the inheritance would be handled.
The Anglican Church ministers expressed their dismay at the current trend of children engaging in property disputes left by their parents, stating, “What we witness in the country, with children fighting over their parents’ property, is disheartening.”
In his sermon, Bishop Waweru warned the children, stating, “If you begin to fight over that property, you will be shedding the sweat of your late mother to lawyers who will mercilessly drain your income under the pretext of representing you in court.”
Bishop Waweru emphasized that they would closely follow how the significant investments made by their late mother would be sustained and urged the children to prosper even further.
Apart from the Nairobi Institute of Technology and Business Studies, the late Mrs. Wanyoike was also the owner of the Emory Restaurant in Kileleshwa, Nairobi. Her other investments included primary and secondary schools, the stock market, the Lizzie Wanyoike Foundation, and the real estate sector.
Bishop Waweru advised the children to uphold their mother’s values, emphasizing that she had a generous heart, helping the less fortunate and supporting numerous individuals through her professional expertise.
He urged them to embody their mother’s ethical standards and advised them to implement her guidance among themselves, without prioritizing one over the other.
Bishop Waweru concluded by urging the children to preserve Mrs. Wanyoike’s legacy as an exceptional figure in the country and to plan how her profile would continue to serve as an inspiration for future generations.
Additionally, he addressed the prevalent corruption in Kenya, emphasizing that if not confronted, the country would never achieve prosperity. He revealed that Mrs. Wanyoike had hinted at encounters with corrupt tax officials who attempted to deceive and threaten her, but she steadfastly stood her ground and did not succumb to their schemes.
The clergy cautioned the children to be wary of the cunning, arrogance, and cruelty of corrupt individuals, assuring them that Mrs. Wanyoike had many friends ready to help in challenging situations.
