Mithika Linturi: I was never at Sopa Lodge with Marianne Kitany: Meru Senator Mithika Linturi on Monday took Ms Marianne Kitany, his alleged wife, to task over her testimony in their messy divorce proceedings, asking her to show evidence they were at Sopa Lodge in Naivasha when he was supposed to table a censure motion in Parliament.
But Mr Kitany stood her ground, saying they were at the hotel in 2014 when he was supposed to table the motion to impeach Ms Anne Waiguru, who was the Devolution minister then, but failed to show up.
“I put it to you that Hon Linturi has never set foot at Sopa Lodge as you claim,” Mr Linturi’s lawyer, Mr Muthomi Thiankolu, said.
But Ms Kitany said that after the 2014 incident, the two have been to the hotel several times even with their children.
Mr Thiankolu interrogated Ms Kitany over their alleged traditional wedding that took place at her parents’ home in Nandi.
According to the lawyer, the visit was a normal one and had nothing to do with a wedding. “What date do you want the court to believe? Was the ceremony held on April 16, 2016 or March 26, 2016?” posed Mr Thiankolu.
“The initial date was April 16 but he requested it to be brought forward to fall within the Easter weekend,” she replied.
Mr Thiankolu also disputed claims that some of the people she named as having attended the ceremony from Meru were actually out of the country.
But Ms Kitany said that the wives of the men she named were part of the group that visited her home at Kapchemosin, Nandi South, for dowry negotiations.
“Do you have evidence or even a photograph showing money exchanging hands as payment of your dowry?” Mr Thiankolu asked.
She said the man who received the cash is a witness and would confirm the allegations.
THREATS
Ms Kitany will be calling 22 other witnesses, including her relatives and elders who witnessed the customary marriage.
She told chief magistrate Peter Gesora that witnesses from Meru, who were set to testify, had been threatened.
Other witnesses are her architect who designed their two homes, one in Meru and the other in Runda, and an uncle who was present on December 19 last year when they were thrown out of the home at Runda’s Mae Ridge.
She has since obtained orders allowing her to stay and barring Mr Linturi from accessing the home.
Mr Linturi has denied allegations of cruelty, neglect, desertion and adultery as stated by Ms Kitany.
He maintains they were never married and the case was part of her plans to claim his property.
By SAM KIPLAGAT
-nation.co.ke
