Nearly a decade after the death of Fidel Castro Odhiambo Odinga, the eldest son of ODM leader Raila Odinga, the late businessman’s former wife, Lwam Getachew Bekele, has reignited legal and public interest in his estate by laying claim to a portion of his unclaimed assets.
A notice published in the Kenya Gazette by the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA) on October 17, 2025, lists Bekele as the applicant seeking appointment as administrator over funds and properties linked to her late husband. The application, which specifically mentions dormant accounts held at Gulf African Bank, has triggered a 30-day window for any counter-claims or objections from other interested parties.
If no objections are raised within the stipulated period, Lwam could legally assume control of the assets — a move that has revived the long-running family saga surrounding the management of Fidel’s wealth and legacy.
Fidel Odinga died suddenly in January 2015, leaving behind significant wealth and a young son with Lwam Bekele, his Ethiopian-born ex-wife. At the time of his death, the couple had already separated, but their marriage — solemnised in 2012 — had produced one child, making Lwam both a former spouse and mother of Fidel’s heir.
In the years following his passing, the distribution of his estate became a subject of protracted legal battles. The Odinga family and Lwam Bekele found themselves entangled in court proceedings to determine who qualified to inherit and administer the multimillion-shilling estate.
Court documents previously revealed that Fidel owned four major properties — including a home in Karen, parcels of land in Kisumu and Kajiado, and various bank accounts and company shares.
By 2022, a family settlement reportedly allocated three of the four properties to Lwam, while the fourth was set aside for their son. However, the latest UFAA filing suggests that not all of Fidel’s assets had been accounted for or transferred, leaving certain funds dormant and classified as unclaimed.
In Lwam’s case, the assets in question are believed to be funds that remained untouched since Fidel’s passing — possibly due to lack of clear succession paperwork or pending family disputes. Her application to UFAA seeks formal recognition as the rightful administrator of those funds.
The saga surrounding Fidel’s estate first reached headlines in 2019, when a Nairobi court ordered DNA tests to determine the paternity of twin children claimed to have been fathered by Fidel before his death.
That dispute temporarily froze succession proceedings and complicated the division of assets. While the court later recognized Lwam and her son as legitimate heirs, family negotiations reportedly continued behind closed doors.
In 2022, reports suggested that the matter had been largely settled, with all parties reaching what was described as an “amicable understanding.” The latest claim, however, underscores that not all aspects of the estate were fully concluded.
One of the recurring debates in the case revolves around Lwam’s legal status at the time of Fidel’s death. Although the two had separated in 2014, their divorce had reportedly not been finalized.
