By Isaac Blessings
Mithika Linturi is the current senator representing Meru County and will be vying for the gubernatorial seat in the same county come the August 9th general elections. The senator was married to Maryanne Kitany-in a relationship that was anything but ideal.
Here is the story of billionaire Maryanne Kitany as told by WoK.
Who is Marianne Kitany?
Marianne J. Kitany is the former Chief of Staff to the Deputy President of Kenya, William Ruto. She held the position from April 2013 to 2016 before her tenure came to an end in the 2017 general elections. Marianne attended the University of Nairobi as well as Columbia Business School in the United States for her tertiary education. Prior to joining the Deputy President’s office, she worked as the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) manager at the Kenya Railways Corporation. She also worked in a similar position at Hamilton Harrison & Mathews Advocates and at the Energy Regulatory Commission. She is a part-time lecturer at Strathmore University’s Faculty of Information Technology (IT).
Divorce with Mithika Linturi
After their separation in 2016, the two have been involved in endless court battles over their relationship. First Kaitany filed for divorce in the court but Mithika responded through an affidavit filed at Milimani court in civil suit number 78 of 2018 stating that he was never married to Kaitany since he has been in a monogamous marriage with Mercy Kaimenyi Mithika since April 8th 2000. He further revealed that Kaitany was in a monogamous marriage with her ex-husband up to January 3rd 2016 hence legally incapable of entering into marriage with him in 2015 as alleged in her affidavit. Mithika stated that he had allowed her a temporary stay at his Runda home just as a guest friend. He further stated that Kaitany’s divorce application was a vicious and fraudulent plan to deprive him of the ownership of Atticon Limited and other properties.
Also Read: The Richest Senators In Kenya
Runda Home court battles
On October 25th 2018, Kitany obtained a court order barring the senator from entering their Runda home where they lived. She was granted the full occupation of the shared residence known as Mae Ridge Country Villas House Number 16. Upon the expiry of the order on December 18th, the senator stormed the home with youths who ejected Kitany from the house. On January 8th 2019, Kitany received yet another order that barred Linturi from accessing the Runda residence until a divorce case was heard and determined. In the papers presented in court, the Meru senator claimed to have purchased the plot L.R No 7785/1324, without help from Kitany. On the other hand, Kitany claimed through an affidavit to have financed and supervised the construction of Linturi’s rural home in 2010.
Atticon Limited Court battles
Senator Linturi told the court that he granted Maryanne Kitany the go ahead to temporarily establish a personal office in one of the rooms at Atticon Limited company headquarters. She however took advantage of his co-director’s maternity leave and his absence to harass staff and gained access to the company’s registration, business and other company’s critical documents. Linturi revealed that he co-founded the company in March 2007 together with Emily Nkirote Buantai. He further stated that the new directors who were added to the company are Kaitany’s daughter, son, mother, brother, sister and her sister’s husband. On the other hand Kitany claims that it is the senator who is trying to push her out of Atticon limited, a company she owns with her family members.
Other properties in contention
Some of the other properties Mithika and Kitany are battling for include Chuna Estate in Kitengela worth Ksh 4.2 million, shares at Kitengela International School, a Ksh 7.2 million worth plot in Kajiado titled L.R No Kajiado/Kaputei North/10444, a Ksh 100.8 worth piece of land in Kitengela titled L.R No Kajiado/Kitengela/25310, a Ksh 3 million worth plot in Runda and a Ksh 7.2 million piece of land in Ntima, Igoki.
