Miraa, mursik & big-millions: The sacrifices I made to seal Linturi’s love, Kitany tells court

Marianne Kitany, the former chief of staff at Office of the Deputy President, now says she pumped millions of shillings into the construction of deluxe mansions that she would occupy with her estranged husband, Mithika Linturi, the current Meru Senator.

Appearing before Nairobi chief magistrate, Peter Gesora Ngare, on Wednesday, August 21, Ms Kitany, who is seeking to divorce Ms Linturi over alleged infidelity, said she spent at least Ksh100 million in building a legendary house for the couple in the posh Runda neighbourhood.

She says she used another Ksh36 million in renovating Mr Linturi’s Maua home in Meru.

Ms Kitany claims Deputy President William Ruto was scheduled to grace a ceremony planned to “bless” the house before being occupied, but due to the DP’s-then busy diary, he (Ruto) delegated the task to the National Assembly Majority Leader, Aden Duale. Mr Duale, in 2016, attended the ceremony, said Ms Kitany.

“He (Linturi) used me to build and reconstruct the two houses,” said Ms Kitany, adding: “The architectural work was done by a person, whom I had hired from Nairobi.”

Besides the house projects, Ms Kitany claims she showered her estranged flame with other goodies, including spending Ksh800, 000 on a vacation that she, Mr Linturi and their six children (Kitany’s three and Linturi’s three) went for.

Ms Kitany says after Mr Linturi won her heart in 2014, he prevailed upon her to leave her job in government and “concentrate on their family business”.

Other property that Ms Kitany claims she acquired to make her life and that of her ex-partner super-comfortable is a set of exquisite furniture imported from Dubai.

The former chief of staff at DP’s office also narrated how on April 16, 2016 she made sacrifices to traditionally solemnise her union with the senator.

“[In April 2016], we began preparations for our traditional wedding, which was scheduled to take place over Easter holidays. My kinspeople in Nandi bought tomatoes, onions and other food stuff. Njuri Ncheke elders from Linturi’s community came to my parents’ home. Linturi later arrived with his friends, driving in eight vehicles. In total, 19 people from Meru attended my Koito.

“Linturi’s parents, however, did not attend the ceremony, with the senator claiming it was a taboo for his parents to accompany him to such a ceremony,” said Ms Kitany.

To prove that she was indeed married to the former Igembe South MP, Ms Kitany displayed her marriage certificate to the magistrate.

Ms Kitany says Ksh100, 000 Koito ceremony sealed their union.

As part of Kalenjin tradition, Ms Kitany claims she took fermented milk (Mursik), which, she says, she doesn’t like, “but had to make the sacrifice”.

Elders from the Njuri Ncheke group had carried with them miraa, which Ms Kitany was to chew as part of the wedding process, she said.

“Linturi gave me miraa to chew. I tasted the stimulant drug for the first time in my life,” said Ms Kitany.

Ms Kitany further told the court that Mr Linturi had three wives, whom he divorced, before kick-starting a relationship with her. The last woman Mr Linturi formally ditched was a Ms Kaimenyi, whom he divorced in 2005.

The mother-of-three made her statements in court as her estranged husband, Mr Linturi, who arrived quite late in court, looked on.

The court adjourned until August 28, when the hearing continues.

Ms Kitany’s revelations come just a day after she revealed how a simple instruction by DP Ruto birthed a romantic affair between her and the senator.

(Additional reporting by Lenox Sengre)