Master’s Office

The Master is an officer appointed under Section 4 of the Administration of Estates Act, CAP 31:01 for specific purposes as outlined below under the purview of the relevant acts.

Administration of Estates Act, Section 4, CAP 31:01:

•  Administers estates of deceased persons – overseeing the administration by appointed executors and managing the property of the person who passed away.
• Administers the Guardian Fund - management of benefits of minor beneficiaries or persons whose whereabouts are unknown.
• Chairs next of kin meetings. These are meetings of close relatives (siblings, parents and children of the deceased) to nominate an executor to deal with the distribution of the estate of the person who passed away without a will.
• Approves liquidations and distribution accounts of the remaining properties of the estate.

Companies Act, CAP 42:01

• Supervises the winding up of companies placed under liquidation.
• Appoints liquidators.
• Appoints judicial managers.
• Presides over creditors’ meetings.
• Approves liquidation and distribution accounts.
• Insolvency act.
• Supervises sequestration of insolvent persons.
• Appoints trustees to corporate estates.

Insolvency Act, CAP 42:02

• Supervises the sequestration of insolvent persons and management of their estates.
• Appoints trustees to estates.

Marriage Act, CAP 29:01

• Issuance of certificates if protection of minors of former marriages where the person intending to remarry has a former spouse who is deceased. 

High Court Rules, CAP 04:02

• Provision of report to Judges and supervision of curators appointed by the Court together with overseeing the administration of estates of incapacitated persons.