Edward Nzesya Mutilangi, the younger brother of the late Kenyan PepsiCo executive William Mulwa Mutilangi, has filed a petition in a New York court seeking to be declared the administrator of his vast estate.
This has set him against Tanzanian national Bakari Kisalu Malanda, who claims to be Mulwa’s son. Mr. Nzesya, represented by his New York-based lawyer, Japheth Matemu, filed the petition with the Westchester County Surrogate’s Court in New York.
William Mulwa passed away last year under unclear circumstances and Bakari Malanda, asserting to be his son, authorized the cremation of Mulwa’s body.
Subsequently, he sought to acquire Mulwa’s assets in Nairobi and New York.
The petition, filed on January 29, tentatively values Mulwa’s estate in the US at not more than $500,000 (approximately Ksh81 million), according to legal documents.
The $500,000 estimate specifically pertains to Mulwa’s assets in the United States, and it is considered a tentative figure.
Mr. Matemu emphasized that a comprehensive valuation of Mulwa’s personal and real property is yet to be conducted.
He mentioned working with an accountant, Nicholas Kamwela and the intention to employ a private investigator to ensure the recovery of all assets belonging to William Mulwa.
Mulwa’s assets include a townhouse in Peekskill township, a 2017 BMW sports utility vehicle, life insurance, employee death benefits and several registered patents in the US.
He also owned prime real estate in Nairobi and Machakos, with his total assets estimated to be worth at least Ksh500 million.
The legal proceedings face hurdles as information on Mulwa’s assets is being withheld.
On October 24, 2023, Bakari executed a power of attorney, authorizing New Jersey-based Peter Nderitu Githinji to make decisions on behalf of the executor.
This power of attorney has instructed various institutions to withhold information regarding Mulwa’s assets.
The petition lists Mulwa’s five surviving siblings—Vincent, Mary, Lilian, Alice and Judy—as potential beneficiaries of the estate.
All of them must consent before Judge Brandon Sall of the Surrogate’s Court can grant Mr. Nzesya a “Letter of Administration” allowing him to act as the executor and trustee of the estate.
The siblings insist that Mulwa was single throughout his life and past relationships did not yield any children.
However, Bakari claims that Mulwa was his father and had drawn a will leaving his entire multimillion-shilling estate to him.
The probate hearing date is yet to be scheduled and Mr. Matemu is required by law to provide proper notice to all five siblings.
Probate procedures are typically complex and New York State rules can further complicate such cases, especially when there is no known “last will and testament” and foreign entities are involved. These cases may take several months or even years to resolve.
The filing indicated that Mulwa had no spouse or child.
Meanwhile, Mr. Matemu reported that the house where Mulwa lived in Peekskill township appeared to have been ransacked after his death.
The lawyer discovered the house in terrible condition when he gained entry on January 29, with several items, particularly documents, missing.
Consequently, he changed the house’s door lock. Sgt. Kevin Stewart of Peekskill Police Department confirmed that Mr. Matemu filed a report about wanting to replace the door lock to prevent potential property theft.
However, the police treated it as a civil matter, not initiating a criminal investigation into property theft or the circumstances surrounding Mulwa’s death.
