Former Chief of Staff at the Deputy President William Ruto, Mary Keitany has revealed details about how she and Meru senator Mithika Linturi met.
She was testifying during the acrimonious and much-publicized divorce hearing on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at the Milimani Commercial Court.
The former DP ally told Chief Magistrate, Peter Ngare that in June 2014, DP Ruto urged Linturi, who had taken the initiative to table the Anne Waiguru impeachment motion in Parliament, to drop it as it was detrimental to the party's well-being.
It was during this period (May 2014) that Waiguru was battling allegations of embezzling Ksh791 Million National Youth Service (NYS) funds.
Ms. Keitany implied that the senator was however adamant and determined to carry the motion to the end, prompting DP Ruto to ask her to intervene.
She was at that moment the DP's Chief of Staff and Linturi had successfully defended his Igembe South Constituency seat.
Ms. Keitany intimated that the then Member of Parliament came to the DP's office many times and with lots of complaints. The DP, as a result, ordered her to deal with Mr. Linturi's incessant laments.
“I, therefore, embarked on that mission as ordered by the DP,” Ms. Keitany told the court.
The impeachment motion that Mr. Linturi was so keen about never saw the light of day. It was dropped on a technicality when he went missing on the day of the mention, angering the legislators.
“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, defending his decision not to appear in parliament.
Ms. Keitany has, however, given a different version on August 20th, 2019, proving that she had indeed succeeded in her quest of convincing Mr. Linturi to drop the suit.
“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,” she testified.
In December 2018, Ms. Keitany filed for divorce from Mr. Linturi, accusing the now-Senator of infidelity, bigamy, and mistreatment.
Ms. Keitany will continue with her testimony before Magistrate Ngare on Wednesday, August 21, after the court adjourned on Tuesday.
