House of Grace Bishop, David Muriithi, has admitted to fathering a two-year-old son with a woman who sued him.
In court documents filed on Tuesday, August 24, the Bishop stated that he was willing to take his fatherly responsibility and pay a monthly child upkeep of Ksh10,000.
The Bishop explained in the court papers that he is poor and depends on well-wishers to survive.
The clergyman dismissed an application by Judy Mutave claiming he refused to pay child upkeep yet he is a bishop and leaves a high-end life.
He alleged that the woman had not consulted him about the child being enrolled in a school that he can afford and stated he would pay the Ksh10,000 until the minor reaches the age required to join the school.
He told the court that he was willing to pay school fees for the child but noted that he would not afford to enrol the minor at Kiota School.
In the court documents, Muriithi stated he lived on donations and accused the petitioner of having a flawed perception of his lifestyle.
He also accused the applicant of not having the welfare of the minor at heart but a scheme to either extort money from him and also embarrass him.
"It is now crystal clear to my mind that the applicant having had the misconception that I live a high-end life may somehow have caused herself to conceive with the sole aim of getting a slice of the perceived high-end life and the applicant's scheme seems to be that she will use the innocent child to unlawfully achieve her objective," Bishop Muriithi stated.
Bishop Muriithi wants the court to compel the woman to continue providing food and shelter for the minor. He argued that the complainant had a teenage son who she takes care of.
He also dismissed claims by the woman that he was excited when she informed him of the pregnancy adding that the applicant did not disclose to him that she was pregnant.
"The first time I learnt about the applicant's pregnancy was long after the relationship had ended, when I called her to say hello and in the process, she casually informed me that she was at St. Marys Hospital, Langata to deliver a child, which shocked me," Bishop Muriithi told the court.
" Therefore, contents of paragraphs 5 and 6 of her affidavit are not true as I could not have been excited about a pregnancy that I did not know about and which was for reasons known to the applicant was all along hidden from me."
The applicant, however, differed with the Bishop, accusing him of neglect.
“Muriithi has neglected his parental responsibilities and has caused the minor herein to be a child in need of care and protection,” the woman's lawyer, Danstan Omari, stated in court documents.
The woman took Bishop Muriithi to court seeking Ksh100,000 monthly in child support. Mutave wanted the Bishop compelled to pay Ksh1,000 for the salon, Ksh5,000 for entertainment, Ksh3,000 for utilities and Ksh2,000 for toys.
She was also seeking Ksh20,000 for food and shopping, Ksh35,000 for rent, Ksh11,000 for clothing and Ksh10,000 for house help.
