Granny seeks divorce for lack of support from husband
A 73-year-old granny has told a Kangema court that she wants to divorce her husband after he stopped supporting her.
Marcella Mukami Kinyugo told Senior Resident Magistrate Dennis Kivuti that her husband Peter Kinyugo, 76, abandoned her at the beginning of 2016.
Mukami told defense lawyer Waiganjo Gichuki on Thursday that she had invested in various businesses with her husband who is now enjoying all profits with his second wife.
An ailing Mukami admitted that her husband married a second wife in 1984 and that she had lived together with her co-wife Trizah Mulinge for more than 30 years before she moved to stay with her daughter.
MISTREATMENT
Mukami, a retired teacher, is seeking to terminate her 55-year marriage citing mistreatment and lack of financial and emotional support from her husband who is a former Kiru location chief.
Mukami however could not clearly tell the court why she did not file divorce immediately after her husband married another wife.
“My husband is wise and he forced me to live with my second wife in one house before they moved out to another house. I also participated in traditional marriage ceremony for my co-wife but I was forced to do so,” said Mukami who was represented by lawyer Margret Nyang’ati.
Three years ago, she said her husband stopped visiting her even at the hospital where she has been recuperating.
“Despite my husband paying for my NHIF dues, he has stopped to give me other support to cater for medical care,” Mukami stated.
The defense counsel put the plaintiff to task to explain why she is accusing her husband of adultery yet she participated in in the traditional wedding of the second wife.
Lawyer Gichuki said Mukami has been taken care of, by the husband and her co-wife during her sickness.
TEA BONUS
Gichuki said Mukami has been receiving pension and tea bonus in her account contrary to claims in her suit.
Mukami’s lawyer said her client receives pension of between Sh2, 000 and Sh3, 000 which cannot support her medical care.
Nyang’ati said her client has been bedridden for long and her husband stopped to help her apart from paying for her NHIF dues.
The court set February 15, as the date to cross examine the defense with the plaintiff counsel requesting the court to hasten the case considering health complications of her client.