Kyatha Mbaluka, a senior lawyer from Machakos, has advised parents in the county to distribute their property to their children while they are still alive. This, he suggests, could prevent succession disputes within families, which have sometimes tragically resulted in sibling murders.
Mbaluka, a former aspirant for the Machakos senatorial seat, highlighted an increase in such cases linked to inheritance disputes in recent times, emphasizing that these deaths could have been prevented if parents had already divided their properties among their children.
Selling inheritance
“If parents do not do succession in the right way, we will be left trying to solve murder cases which would have been avoided,” he stated.
Recently, leaders in Machakos County have expressed concern over a troubling trend where young people are selling their inheritance at low prices. This trend, according to the lawyer, has deterred many parents from dividing their property among their children. He also called on the Machakos Lands office to refrain from approving land transactions involving young people unless there are compelling reasons provided.
Mbaluka noted that many young individuals are selling land inherited from their parents at undervalued rates, which often leaves them without land in the long run.
‘“I am warning young people against selling their land inherited at throw away prices because selling land for short term gains will not get them out of poverty, the way out of poverty is to invest in land,” he added.
He urged the county government to educate residents on effective land utilization and to develop policies that protect them from land cartels. Mbaluka emphasized that proper succession planning by parents could prevent future murder cases that arise from inheritance disputes.
