How Ruto’s order led to love affair between Senator Linturi and I – Kitany

Marianne Kitany, the estranged wife of Meru Senator Mithika Linturi, now says her former partner (Linturi) seduced her when her former boss, Deputy President William Ruto, sent her to convince Mr Linturi into withdrawing a then-impeachment motion he had tabled against the then-Devolution minister, Anne Waiguru.

Ms Waiguru at the time (May, 2014) was riddled with allegations of embezzling Ksh791 million National Youth Service (NYS) funds.

Ms Kitany, who — on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 –, testified in a divorce suit she has filed against Linturi, told Milimani Commercial Court Chief Magistrate, Peter Ngare, that she first met Mr Linturi at Mr Ruto’s office in 2013, shortly after Mr Ruto was sworn into office as Kenya’s Deputy President. Ms Kitany, at the time, had just been appointed as the DP’s chief of staff.

Mr Linturi, on the other hand, had successfully defended his Igembe South MP seat on a TNA Party ticket.

Ms Kitany claims the then-Igembe South legislator frequented the DP’s office after the March 4, 2013 general election “with a lot of complaints”.

“The DP, as a result, gave me strict instructions to deal with Mr Linturi’s regular complaints,” Ms Kitany told magistrate Ngare.

That order by the DP, Ms Kitany said, marked the beginning of her frequent interactions with Mr Linturi.

“Between 2013 and when he filed the impeachment motion against Ms Waiguru in May, 2014, Linturi and I hadn’t gotten into a romantic relationship,” Ms Kitany told the court.

-DP Ruto’s hand-

The former chief of staff at the DP’s office says in June 2014, when Mr Linturi was given the go-ahead to table the Waiguru-impeachment motion in Parliament, DP Ruto implored upon the MP to drop the plan.

The lawmaker, however, proved “difficult” prompting DP Ruto to ask Ms Kitany to intervene.

“I, therefore, embarked on that mission as ordered by the DP,” Ms Kitany told the court.

“And when the impeachment motion was first tabled in Parliament, Linturi and I were at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge having a good time. [At that time, he had already won my heart,” said Ms Kitany.

In mid-June 2014, Mr Linturi’s impeachment motion against the then-Devolution ministry boss was thrown out due to “technicality” issues.

The vocal lawmaker had failed to appear in Parliament to give notice.

According to Mr Linturi, he “acted out of respect to President Uhuru Kenyatta”, whom he claimed had prevailed upon him to drop the censure motion against Ms Waiguru.

“As a leader, you must listen to others. We have come a long way with the President and I could not allow the motion to come between us. No one wants the President to plead with them, it is not good particularly on a matter of national interest,” Mr Linturi told the Sunday Nation in late June, 2014.

-Divorce-

In December, 2018, Ms Kitany filed for a divorce from Mr Linturi, accusing the now-Senator of infidelity, bigamy and mistreatment.

In late December, 2018 Mr Linturi attempted to throw Ms Kitany out of their Runda home, but a Nairobi court barred the senator from ejecting his estranged spouse from their matrimonial home until their divorce case was heard and determined.

Mr Linturi, on his part, said he had never exchanged wedding vows with Ms Kitany, and that, according to him, she was only a “visitor” who got comfortable in his home.

The senator was also prohibited from withdrawing monies in five bank accounts held jointly by Ms Kitany and him until their separation suit was heard and determined.

Ms Kitany will continue to testify before Magistrate Ngare on Wednesday, August 21, after the court adjourned on Tuesday.