Senator Linturi and Maryanne Kitany differ over Sopa Lodge encounter

Meru Senator Mithika Linturi on Monday suggested that he has never been at Sopa Lodge in Naivasha where it is believed the romantic relationship with his estranged wife Maryanne Kitany was brewed.

The new twist emerged during cross-examination of Kitany by Linturi’s lawyer Muthomi Thiankolu.

“Are you aware that Linturi has never set foot in Sopa Lodge?” posed the lawyer.

Kitany, however, dismissed the claim, insisting that she has been at Sopa Lodge with Linturi on more than one occasion.

“We were together with Linturi and even went there after that,” replied Kitany.

In a previous court session, Kitany submitted that she was having a good time with Linturi at Sopa Lodge when he was supposed to be in Parliament tabling a motion seeking to impeach then Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.

She, however denied engaging or luring the senator into sexual activities at Sopa Lodge with an aim of getting his properties.

Kitany claims after the encounter at Sopa Lodge they fell in love and later got married in a traditional wedding. Linturi, however, insists he never married Kitany.

Kitany, who is former Chief of Staff at Deputy President William Ruto’s office, on Monday told the court that matters of the heart cannot be questioned, adding that he entered into the relationship with Senator Linturi because she trusted him.

“Relationships are about trust and that is the key pillar, I trusted Linturi,” Kitany said.

She said that they obtained properties together as a family sticking to her earlier statements that she was married to Linturi.

Kitany, who dodged some questions saying that there are experts who will testify in the case, claimed that some of her witnesses have been threatened by the lawmaker, adding that Linturi stole her relative’s tittle deeds to secure loans.

“I will stick to my testimony, Linturi stole properties belonging to my relatives,” the court heard.

Kitany accused the Meru Senator of fraud by taking the said documents without her permission and allegedly forging a petition to show that he was in the process of divorcing his wife Mercy Kaimenyi.

“He picked them without my permission and went secured a loan, he forged the signatures,” the court was told.

Among the witnesses that Kitany alleges have been threatened include the master of ceremony at what she says was her wedding with Linturi where she apparently chewed miraa while Linturi took Mursik to crown their marriage.

Linturi’s lawyer further asked Kitany whether she was aware that the exchange of Miraa does not constitute a marriage under the Meru customary and the drinking of Mursik under the Nandi customary.

In her defense, Kitany maintained that she was married under the Nandi customary, adding that there’s another witness who will testify about the purpose of the Mursik.

“The same function (Koiti) done in Nandi was a tradition wedding,” said Kitany, as she dismissed allegations that the function done on March 26, 2016 was not a traditional wedding.

On the issue of her wealth, she said that she earned her money, invested the money and bought parcels of land.

She testified that after she was fired from the Deputy President’s office, she started working as a CEO at Atticon Limited, adding that Linturi used to pay her “Little money.”

“I had money prior to joining the office of the DP,” Kitany said.