BY SAM ALFAN.
The mother to estranged wife of Meru Senator Mithika Linturi has testified that her daughter got married to the politician under the Nandi customary laws.
Rhoda Kitany told Chief Magistrate Peter Gesora that her daughter Maryanne Kitany, a former Chief of staff at the office of Deputy President William Ruto informed her in 2016 that they were ready to formalize their union.
Rhoda, a pastor at Africa Gospel Church testified that she prepared and invited her family and friends for the occasion. “The first time he came to our home was before the wedding. It was during a fundraiser for our church, where he donated Sh 1 million. Thank you very much my son,” she said.
She said that Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi even knelt down at the function and asked for Kitany’s hand in marriage on behalf of Linturi.
Led by lawyer Dunstan Omari, Rhoda told the court that on the day of the wedding, she received the Meru community in her home.
It was her testimony that that the Senator was accompanied by 19 people while on her side, there were villagers and elders who negotiated the dowry.
The court heard that after the negotiations, the elders talked and agreed on dowry payments and the dowry was later converted into cash and the Senator paid her brother-in-law Sh 100,000.
She added that afterwards, the Meru community requested to also conduct what they termed as part of their customary laws, which was done by chewing of Miraa (khat) with the family of the bride as a sign of solemnizing the marriage. The second ceremony was done in a tent outside her house.
She said everybody at the ceremony including herself and her daughter chewed the miraa. And while they were chewing, a white pick-up full of assorted foodstuff, brought by Linturi, was presented to her and her people.
“He further gifted me with a vehicle (Nissan xtrail) to use in doing the jobs Marianne was doing for me. Errands like going to the shopping, fetching water from the river,” she said. The ceremony ended around 5pm, she added.
The children for the couple, used to visit her during the holidays, she said adding that she has also visited their Runda home on several occasions.
Rhoda testified that she went there last year in August after Marianne called her together with Linturi’s parents to air her grievances on the issues in her marriage. She said Linturi had moved to their Meru home by then.
“I told them we cannot do the meeting in absentia of my son-in-law so we pushed the meeting forward,” she said.
According to Rhoda, Linturi attended the second meeting but said he was in a hurry.
She said that during the meeting, Linturi said he would return her title deeds that he had used without permission to obtain loans from a bank but he has never done so, to date.
The witness told the court that her daughter told her that her life was in danger and she has been sleepless night because of it.
However, Linturi lawyer complained to the magistrate the conduct of the witness.
Muthomi said the witness decline to respond to his questions making it difficult to cross-examine the witness.
