Kitany: How Linturi hired goons at night to kick my children out of Runda home

Maryanne Kitany, estranged wife to Meru Senator Mithika Linturi, on Wednesday painted a picture of schemes and power-play.

In her testimony, Kitany described how Linturi allegedly hired goons to break into her Runda home in the night.

According to her, Linturi told police that there were terrorists at the home only for them to arrive and find her children, a sick relative and an uncle.

“When the police came they ordered people out… of course they identified themselves but later apologised,” she told the court.

It was after this incident that Kitany says she moved to court seeking orders to bar Linturi from accessing the home.

Despite this, Linturi reportedly returned accompanied by police, alleged goons and ‘kienyeji’ dogs.

“They broke the gate, broke the one door and dogs entered the house all the while Linturi was giving people instructions while police were watching. We were ordered to get out of the house and we complied and left to the police,” said Kitany.

The suspected goons (men and women) had allegedly arrived in a 52-seater bus, armed with crude weapons which she said they used to break down the door.

“Members of the Fourth Estate were there and it was aired that evening to show the eviction. We did not carry anything even personal items, there was no time …the children were in slippers,” she added.

According to Kitany, there was a lot of commotion; the women were making noise and in the process, her son was slapped and his phone snatched.

“The girls were scared. That night, the children went to relatives and had to go to my friend’s house for the night of December 19-20,” said Kitany.

“Linturi changed the padlocks to the main house… My belongings together with my children were removed, however been a woman’s house I was able to demonstrate to the court some of the things that they were unable to remove. School books were also left behind,” she added.

Kitany further narrated how she was forced to do fresh shopping for the children but were forced to go back to school without their books.

After the incident, Kitany told court that nine pangas and nine machetes were recovered.

“We did our security arrangements and moved back to the house. Still trying to settle and up to now those personal items are still missing,” said Kitany.

Kitany said that there has been more threats to her life further noting that at one point, a lady came and confessed to her that she had been hired by Linturi.

On Wednesday, the court however decided that all the alleged threats made to Kitany be heard in camera.

The court was told that Kitany still resides in the Runda house with the children.

“I filed a case at the children’s court to ask that I stay with all the children…my children and his children and our personal things be returned… I never chased his children from home,” said Kitany.

Kitany also told court that the Meru Senator assaulted her physically once while they were in Meru.