Son of Late Tycoon Moves to Court Over Alleged Mismanagement of Multi-Million Westlands Estate
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By Dennis Wanyonyi
Nairobi, May 2, 2025 – A legal storm is brewing over the administration of a multi-million-shilling estate in Westlands, Nairobi, as Manojkumar Ratilal Sanghani, one of the children of the late Ratilal Gorhandas Sanghani, has petitioned the High Court to revoke the authority of the current executors, citing gross mismanagement and lack of transparency.
In an application filed on December 13, 2024, Manojkumar seeks to have Rajendra Ratilal Sanghani and Jayant Rach, the executors appointed under a will dated March 3, 2006, compelled to render a detailed inventory and account of the estate’s income and expenditures. He further seeks to be appointed as Administrator De Bonis Non, tasked with concluding the administration of the estate, which has remained in limbo for nearly two decades.
Manojkumar accuses the executors of dereliction of duty, claiming that in the 16 years since they were issued with the Grant of Probate on August 7, 2008, they have failed to account to the beneficiaries or file a proper inventory of the estate’s management. “They have never provided updates or disclosed the financial activities concerning the estate,” he alleges.
The estate, comprising prime real estate including properties in Westlands, Nairobi, and Leicester, UK, is said to have generated over Sh100 million in rental income—none of which has reportedly been distributed or accounted for. Manojkumar claims that the executors have been intermeddling with estate assets, including unauthorized sales such as that of a property located at 95 Niclause Road, Leicester, without a confirmed grant or disclosure to beneficiaries.
Adding to the controversy, Manojkumar asserts that the executors offered him a measly Sh600,000 as his inheritance, without full disclosure of asset sales or valuations. He contends that such actions amount to abuse of office and blatant disregard for the beneficiaries’ legal rights.
Represented by Advocate Nelima Walubengo, Manojkumar is also seeking to have the succession cause, which was dismissed for want of prosecution on May 30, 2022, reinstated. He argues that the dismissal resulted from the executors’ failure to attend court or prosecute the summons for confirmation of the grant filed on October 15, 2018.
In the court filings, he urges the court to order a comprehensive audit and valuation of the estate, including funds held in both Kenyan and UK bank accounts, sold assets and their respective values, and a full account of all remaining estate properties.
“It is in the best interest of justice that the estate is valued and a new administrator appointed to ensure fair and lawful distribution,” states Manojkumar. He emphasizes that his potential appointment should come only after the executors have fully accounted for their stewardship, to avoid being blamed for their alleged misdeeds in future.
The case underscores the legal complexities that can surround estate administration in Kenya and the importance of executor accountability in safeguarding the rights of heirs.
The matter is now pending before the High Court, with a determination expected in the coming weeks.
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