Law Of Succession Act Cap 160 in Kenya

The law applicable to the distribution on intestacy of the categories of property specified in section 32 shall be the law or custom applicable to the deceased’s community or tribe, as the case may be.

A person is deemed to die intestate in respect of all his free property of which he has not made a will which is capable of taking effect.

(1) Subject to the provisions of section 40, where an intestate has left one surviving spouse and a child or children, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to— (a) the personal and household effects of the deceased absolutely; and (b) a life interest in the whole residue of the net intestate...

(1) Where the intestate has left one surviving spouse but no child or children, the surviving spouse shall be entitled out of the net intestate estate to— (a) the personal and household effects of the deceased absolutely; and (b) the first ten thousand shillings out of the residue of the net...

A surviving spouse entitled to a life interest under the provisions of section 35 or 36 of this Act, with the consent of all co-trustees and all children of full age, or with the consent of the court shall, during the period of the life interest, sell any of the property subject to that interest if...

Where an intestate has left a surviving child or children but no spouse, the net intestate estate shall, subject to the provisions of sections 41 and 42, devolve upon the surviving child, if there be only one, or shall be equally divided among the surviving children.

(1) Where an intestate has left no surviving spouse or children, the net intestate estate shall devolve upon the kindred of the intestate in the following order of priority— (a) father; or if dead (b) mother; or if dead I brothers and sisters, and any child or children of deceased brothers...

(1) Where an intestate has married more than once under any system of law permitting polygamy, his personal and household effects and the residue of the net intestate estate shall, in the first instance, be divided among the houses according to the number of children in each house, but also adding...

Where reference is made in this Act to the “net intestate estate”, or the residue thereof, devolving upon a child or children, the property comprised therein shall be held in trust, in equal shares in the case of more than one child, for all or any of the children of the intestate who attain the age...

Where— (a) an intestate has, during his lifetime or by will, paid, given or settled any property to or for the benefit of a child, grandchild or house; or (b) property has been appointed or awarded to any child or grandchild under the provisions of section 26 or section 35 of this Act, that...

Where two more persons have died in circumstances rendering it uncertain which of them survived the other or others, the deaths shall, for all purposes of this Act, be presumed to have occurred in order of seniority, and accordingly the younger shall be deemed to have survived the elder: Provided...

(1) The provisions of this Part shall not, in cases of intestacy, apply to those types of property mentioned in section 32. (2) The Minister may, after consultation with the Chief Justice, by order in the Gazette, suspend in any area referred to in the order all or any of sections 45, 46, 48 and...

(1) Except so far as expressly authorized by this Act, or by any other written law, or by a grant of representation under this Act, no person shall, for any purpose, take possession or dispose of, or otherwise intermeddle with, any free property of a deceased person. (2) Any person who contravenes...

(1) Whenever it becomes known to any police officer or administrative officer that any person has died, he shall, unless aware that a report has already been made, forthwith report the fact of the death to the sub-chief of the sub-location or to the chief or administrative officer of the area where...

The High Court shall have jurisdiction to entertain any application and determine any dispute under this Act and to pronounce such decrees and make such orders therein as may be expedient: Provided that the High Court may for the purpose of this section be represented by Resident Magistrates...

(1) Notwithstanding any other written law which limits jurisdiction, but subject to the provisions of section 49 of this Act, a Resident Magistrate shall have jurisdiction to entertain any application other than an application under section 76 of this Act and to determine any dispute under this Act...

The Resident Magistrate within whose area a deceased person had his last known place of residence shall, if the gross value of the estate of the deceased does not exceed one hundred thousand shillings, have in respect of that estate the jurisdiction conferred by section 48: Provided that— (i) the...

(1) An appeal shall lie to the High Court in respect of any order or decree made by a Resident Magistrate in respect of any estate and the decision of the High Court thereon shall be final. (2) An appeal shall lie to the High Court in respect of any order or decree made by a Kadhi’s Court in...

The Chief Justice may in consultation with the Chief Kadhi, make rules of court for the better carrying into effect in relation to the estates deceased Muslims of the provisions of sections 47, 48, 49 and 50 and, in particular regulating the exercise of the jurisdiction conferred by this Act.

(1) Every application for a grant of representation shall be made in such form as may be prescribed, signed by the applicant and witnessed in the prescribed manner. (2) Every application shall include information as to— (a) the full names of the deceased; (b) the date and place of his death;...

Any person who, in an application for representation, wilfully or recklessly makes a statement which is false in any material particular shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand shillings or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both such fine...

A court may— (a) where a deceased person is proved (whether by production of a will or an authenticated copy thereof or by oral evidence of its contents) to have left a valid will, grant, in respect of all property to which such will applies, either— (i) probate of the will to one or more of the...

A court may, according to the circumstances of each case, limit any grant of representation which it has jurisdiction to make, in any of the forms described in the Fifth Schedule to this Act.

(1) No grant of representation, whether or not limited in its terms, shall confer power to distribute any capital assets, or to make any division of property, unless and until the grant has been confirmed as provided in section 71. (2) The restriction on distribution under subsection (1) does not...

(1) No grant of representation shall be made— (a) to any person who is a minor, or of unsound mind, or bankrupt; or (b) to more than four persons in respect of the same property. (2) No grant of letters of administration, with or without the will annexed, shall be made to a body corporate...

No grant of representation shall be made to a syndic or nominee on behalf of a body corporate: Provided that, where a body corporate applies for a grant of probate or (in the case of a trust corporation) letters of administration, the application may be signed, and any necessary affidavits may be...

(1) Where a continuing trust arises— (a) no grant of letters of administration in respect of an intestate estate shall be made to one person alone except where that person is the Public Trustee or a Trust Corporation; (b) no grant of letters of administration with the will annexed shall be...

Any person who has been appointed by a will as an executor thereof may, either by oral declaration before the court or by writing under his hand, renounce executorship, and shall thereafter be finally precluded from applying for grant of probate of that will.

When several executors are appointed, probate may be granted to them all simultaneously, or at different times.

(1) If a codicil is discovered after the grant of probate, a separate probate of that codicil may be granted to the executor, if it in no way repeals the appointment of executors made by the will. (2) If different executors are appointed by the codicil, the probate of the will shall be revoked,...