It was love at first sight. The sight of a lanky, rungu-wielding warrior draped on a red shuka and sporting neatly braided hair must have left her gasping with excitement.
She had heard fairy tales about African warriors and could not let go of this one.
Butย Miriam Elisabeth Winkelย now regrets the decision she made that evening in 2008, a year after she arrived in Kenya from her home in Netherlands.
Winkel, 46, had moved to Kenya in 2007 on a mission to improve education standards and development inย Samburu.
Through theย Samburuย Empowerment through Education and Development (SEED), a community-based organisation which she helped to register in May 2007, she hoped to transform the lives of local pastoralists.
Within a year she fell in love with a youngSamburuย man who was then working as a night guard at a hotel in Maralal, where she was residing.ร
The relationship blossomed and culminated in a marriage consumated on July 31, 2008. Ms Winkel got married toย John Lepil Lolkile, 24, at a colourful ceremony at Maralal district commissioner headquarters.
She acquired several plots in Maralal, which were all registered in Lepilรขยยs name. The marriage has now hit theรย rocks and the two are embroiled in aย divorceย suit.
Lepil, currently a member of theย Samburuย County Assembly, last year married another wife throughSamburuย customary marriage a decision which rocked their four-year-old marriage.รย ร
Ms Winkel first approached the court at the beginning of this year after Lepil allegedly forced her out of their matrimonial home and threatened her with violence.
In theย divorceย papers, Ms Winkel has asked the High Court to dissolve their marriage citing cruelty from her husband.
She cited suffering she has allegedly endured at the hands of her husband after he married aย Samburuย lady in customary marriage.
She wants the court to distribute the nine plots in Maralal town, livestock, two motor vehicles and other properties owned by the family.
Incidentally, Ms Winkel tells the court the property in question was bought through her sole efforts though they are registered in her husbandรขยยs name.
รย รขยยOut of my knowledge I was only aware of their one son born on May 2011 who I arranged to adopt,รขยย she says.
In response, Lepil hasรย รย asserted that Winkel abandoned her duties as a wife and argues theรย property is his. He further tells the court Ms Winkel deserted the matrimonial home on her own choice and abdicated her wifely duties of washing and cooking; besides denying him conjugal rights.
Justice Hellen Omondi has already ordered Winkel to move back with her three children to the matrimonial home pending determination of theย divorceย case.-standardmedia.co.ke
