In an interview with Standard four years ago, former Othaya MP Mary Wambui claimed to be former President the late Mwai Kibaki’s wife.
Over the years, the media has had different stories about the late President’s second wife and family forcing him, at some point, to clear out the air.
In 2009, Kibaki, in the company a visibly irritated Lucy Kibaki, was forced to call a press briefing and declared that he only had one wife.
In the company of the then First Lady, Kibaki was forced to deny claims that he had a second wife.
“You know and I know and everybody else knows that I have only one dear wife, Lucy here, but the media keeps repeating about my having another wife or wives,” Kibaki declared.
However, despite the declaration, the media has continued to report that Wambui’s marriage to Kibaki existed.
Also Read: Mwai Kibaki Biography: Education, Family, Businesses And Death
Meeting Kibaki
Wambui met with Mwai Kibaki in early 1970s when she was working at the KANU offices in Nyeri County. At the time, Kibaki had moved his political base to Nyeri from Nairobi.
She later became an aide to Kibaki and in 1978, when he was appointed Vice-President, Kibaki hired her as manager of his Rware Farm in Naromoru.
She started driving a Peugeot 504 pick-up belonging to Rware Farm and later moved from Mumbi Estate to Ring Road Estate, where the affluent live.
Back in 1972, the two had performed a traditional wedding where Kibaki met Wambui’s parents and bride price was paid. Their marriage flourished and moved on well until 2002 when Mwai Kibaki became the President of Kenya.
In 2004, the media reported that Kibaki has a second spouse allegedly married under customary law Mary and a daughter, Winnie Wangui Mwai.
Winnie, their daughter, is the lady who had hosted the Armenian brothers Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargasyan in 2006.
Still married
In August 2014, Wambui stated that he was still married to Kibaki when he was introduced by the MC who referred to her as Wambui wa Mwai, causing a little unease at the function.
However, she replied amid cheers from the crowd saying;
“There is nothing wrong by what has been said by the MC. I am still married to Kibaki and I have not returned to my father’s home but people can say what they want.”
In November, 2015, Kibaki and Mary Wambui seemed to have buried the hatchet when the former President attended the funeral of her sister, at which the MP declared that he was part of her family.
This time the former president did not deny it.
