Dennis Itumbi reflects on rumours claiming he secretly proposed to Jacque Maribe
By Steve Ireri, September 5, 2025Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Coordination Dennis Itumbi has opened up about decade-long rumours suggesting a romantic relationship between him and veteran journalist Jacque Maribe.
Speaking in a local podcast on Thursday, September 4, 2025, Itumbi reflected on how an innocent studio moment triggered assumptions that have persisted for over ten years.
“There has now been a decade-old assumption that Maribe and I are in this intense romantic relationship. Some people even said we are married. It has been a long-running assumption, and we are tired of fighting it. We are almost at the point of joking that we should make matching football jerseys,” he said.
He added that the rumours began with a birthday cake incident one December, which coincided with Maribe’s birthday.
He recalled that he was attending a presidential meeting at State House, preparing for end-of-year recordings and interviews, when some journalists brought in a cake.
The cake, he said, was initially given to someone else, but later he was asked to hold it so the original holder could step aside.
Itumbi said that, in that moment, he ended up alone holding the cake and appeared to be presenting it to Maribe, even though he had not realised it was her birthday.
“I recall one particular day, it was Jacque’s birthday on December 18. I was at the State House in a presidential meeting and preparing for end-of-year recordings and interviews. Some journalists brought in a cake, and it was initially given to someone next to me. Later, I was asked to hold it while the original holder stepped aside, and I ended up alone holding the cake. At that moment, it appeared as if I was presenting it to her, even though I did not even know it was her birthday,” he said.
Itumbi said that he had excused himself from a communication meeting with the president to attend an interview, and insisted that the entire incident was purely coincidental.
He added that after returning from the meeting, people began spreading stories claiming that he had stepped out of an official meeting to surprise Maribe in the studio.
“I had excused myself from a communication meeting with the president to attend the studio recordings, and when I returned, people claimed I had stepped out of an official meeting to surprise a woman in the studio. That simple incident snowballed into long-running rumours, eventually leading to exaggerated claims that I had secretly proposed to her. It is remarkable how a small, innocent gesture turned into years of speculation.”
Maribe on the rumours
On her part, Maribe said she has grown accustomed to the persistent rumours over the years.
She added that following the cake incident, she began receiving congratulatory messages implying that Itumbi had proposed to her in the studio.
“Truly, the longest-running assumption in my life has been about Dennis. After the cake incident, I started receiving congratulatory messages saying people had heard Dennis came to surprise me in the studio or that he had proposed. I had to accept what people were saying at some point because we had tried many times to clear the air. This is actually the first time we are sitting together and talking openly about it,” she said.
Maribe further noted that despite multiple attempts to clarify the situation publicly, the assumptions persisted, and that this interview marked the first time she and Itumbi were sitting together to address the claims openly.
“It got to a point where I thought it was fine to let the assumptions be because they persisted despite our clarifications. People’s imagination took a small birthday cake gesture and turned it into stories of romance and proposals.”