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The controversial side of Linturi


Meru Senator Mithika Linturi has on a number of occasions found himself on the wrong side of the law.

The politician was elected to the Senate in 2017 after serving as Igembe South lawmaker for more than two decades.

Here are some of the instances that have placed the grey bearded lawmaker on wrong books during his tenure.

1. Arrested over ‘Madoadoa’ remarks at Eldoret rally

The lawmaker was arrested over controversial remarks he allegedly made during a rally in Eldoret on January 8. His arrest follows a directive by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji to the Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai to initiate an investigation into the remarks. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) waded into the debate, indicating that the utterances attributed to Linturi could not only bring hate but also likely to affect harmonious coexistence between Kenyan communities.

2. Arrested over Sh530 million bank forgery claim

Linturi was on March 2021 arrested over claims he’d used forged signatures to secure a Sh530 million bank loan with properties of his estranged wife as collateral. In a petition filed before the High Court, Marianne Kitany, the estranged wife of the Meru Senator, accused him of forging signatures to secure the multimillion-shilling loan from Family Bank. The DPP recommended his arrest and prosecution for criminal offenses linked to the loans, overdrafts, and other credit facilities from the lender.

3. Child support claims

In April 2013, a woman accused police of not arresting the Meru Senator after he defaulted on a Sh50,000 monthly maintenance as per a court order. The woman claimed police were hesitant to arrest the lawmaker despite instructions from the court. The woman, a dentist, had moved to court in August 2012 after the MP allegedly abandoned her and their three-year-old son. She claimed he evicted her and the child from their house in Kilimani. The woman claimed that she was married to the lawmaker in May 2008 under Meru customary law and the couple was blessed with a son two years later.

4. Charged with attempted rape

Linturi was on September 2021 charged at the Milimani Law courts with attempted rape.

As per the court papers, he was accused of attempting to rape a 36-year-old woman, an incident which said to have taken place in January 2021, at Maiyan Villas Hotel in Nanyuki. Linturi was later released on a Ksh 200,000 cash bail or an alternative of Ksh 500,000 bond by the Nairobi-based court after his lawyer pleaded he be released on reasonable cash bail.

5. Bitter divorce

In 2019, Linturi again treated the public to drama in the courts after her relationship with one Maryanne Kaitany ended in controversy. Kaitany accused him of infidelity and fraud while he denied ever marrying her, claiming he’d invited her to his house as a visitor and she had overstayed her visit.

 

6. Fake academic papers

The University of Nairobi in 2017 deregistered Meru Senator Mithika Linturi as a law student after it found him guilty of presenting fake papers to get admission.

The university’s Senate sat and resolved to de-register him following investigations that revealed that the degree from a university in India that he used to secure admission at University of Nairobi in 2014 was forged.

The development is a blow to senator who was supposed to graduate in December this year.

“Universities admit students on the basis of their qualifications and if it is discovered that you forged your document, then the institution is at liberty to stop you from continuing with your studies,” said a senior officer at the university.