Wednesday, March 4, 2009

KENYA'S FIRST FAMILY FURY OVER MUITE CLAIMS

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DAILY NATION
NAIROBI, KENYA

By BERNARD NAMUNANE and NJERI RUGENE
Tuesday, March 3 2009

An angry President Kibaki has threatened to take legal action against anybody who implied that he has a second family.

The President, who appeared totally disgusted, called a rare press conference at State House on Tuesday to state clearly that he had only one wife—First Lady Lucy Kibaki— and four children.

President Kibaki also explained that his relatives were well known and appealed to the public to keep a blind ear to the allegations. He then said he had been driven to the point of restating his marital status due to statements that were made by former Kabete MP on Monday.

Mr Muite remarked that the government ordered a raid on the Standard Group three years ago to stop it from publishing a story on the composition of the President’s family.

Accused media

With Mrs Kibaki standing on his right handside, the President accused the media of continuously questioning his marital status inspite of coming out publicly twice on his family.

“You know, I know and everyone knows that I am married and I only have one wife. And everyone..the media keep reporting that I have another one wife or wives. I have only one wife and I don’t have any other,” he said.

He stated the repetition had pushed him to the wall and threatened to take any person who will make any allegations on his family to court. In a rare show, the President admitted that he was angered by the claims.

“I have gotten in this foul mood after listening to some statements that were made yesterday, the other day or even recently. I want to state that anyone who is bent on that course will see me in court or wherever he will see me. There is no other way,” he warned.

There was anxiety in newsrooms when State House called in the afternoon to invite journalists to a press conference by the President. Scores of reporters and camera men turned up—apparently the foreign media were left out— and were ushered to the the press area on the well manicured State House lawns.

They were kept waiting for more than 45 minutes. In between Presidential Press Services director Isaiah Kabira came in to say the press conference will begin at 4.30 pm.

However, at 4.45 pm, the normally stoic Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura found the courtesy to excuse the President for the delay. “We are sorry to have kept you,” he said, a wry smile on his face and dashed back to the main building to come back with the President in the company of the First Lady.

President Kibaki, whose face showed painful anger, started his address by introducing the First Lady. In a deep tone that could have been laced with anger, he said: “This is my wife Lucy, and I want to say something that I hold dear in my heart to you. I only have one wife, my dear Lucy and four children. You know their names and if you don’t know you can ask me. I will tell you.”

He stated that lies were being told about his family and wondered why people were spreading falsehoods. He challenged the media to tell the public the truth. He said his family will not be diverted by the allegations that were flying around.

“I don’t know why people are spreading lies about me because I am a genuine person who doesn’t tell lies. It doesn’t help anybody to tell lies,” he said.

Reason for raid

On Tuesday, Mr Muite claimed the information about the alleged reason for the Standard raid was given by Mr John Michuki, who was Security minister when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and Legal Affairs which he chaired.

Asked about the basis of the allegations Tuesday, President Kibaki said: I don’t know the reason; I don’t the genesis. That is precisely the reason I don’t understand why anybody would continue to say falsehoods,”

It was at this time that First Lady Lucy intervened and challenged reporters to ask questions: “ Ask questions now so that from today you stop writing those things.”

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Kibaki's family fury over Muite claims
She then took over the press conference and in a tearful way expressed the pain the allegations has caused the First Family.

“They have been tormenting us; we are partners for long,” she said.

Mrs Kibaki singled out KTN and expressed her disgust at the station for allowing Mr Muite to speak of “falsehoods” on the First Family in the presence of foreign diplomats and international media.

Pointing at the KTN reporter, she said: “You are from KTN? Last night I nearly came to your offices to attack you the same way I did to Nation. You allow foreign diplomats, international journalists, name them listen to somebody called Muite tell lies. The President may not take him to court but I and my family will take him to court. Tell him that.”


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Submitted by tonnygatch
Posted March 04, 2009 12:00 AM


I agree with charlle. If the Prezzo had children from somewhere else, they are his children and no amount of denying will do. One wife I get, more than four children? Now that sounds like it is not true. How about that truth?


Submitted by NaturalSceptic
Posted March 03, 2009 11:31 PM


muite crossed the line. Very distastefully too.


Submitted by charlle
Posted March 03, 2009 11:13 PM


It’s important to differentiate between a wife and a mistress. It’s possible that mzee had a mistress at some point, even that he had a child out of wedlock, and if that were the case, it would be appropriate to talk about his other child/son/daughter and not wife. If it’s true as alleged that mzee has a daughter, then he should be forthright about it. That’s the surefire way to reduce the appetite for this topic. The truth shall set you free.


Submitted by rodneyghee
Posted March 03, 2009 11:11 PM


lucy hacheki na watu till she frogmatches the prezzo to deny the claims yet when people are hungry or in real problems hakuna press conference,just shows you where the guys priority is if we are smart lets use this always as bait to make him perform.sad but will work!!!


Submitted by stunya
Posted March 03, 2009 11:11 PM


It's very unfortunate to have the President do the explanation. However where there is smoke there is a fire.Muite you are a failed politician...we know you deslike Kibaki but pls keep off his family.For the first family note that majority of Kenyans dont care a thing about your family affairs.Kenyans are mad at the current leadership!


Submitted by chukua_chako_mapema
Posted March 03, 2009 11:04 PM


Ati Emilio na wife wana cry foul! lol.So wot? I wish every kenyan had the same priviledge 2go to court and sue people like you.Tunakifa njaa. Na umekunywa oil na rafiki wako kiraitu.and u have the guts to call a press conference to talk about ur family?keep ur personal issues personal!We want food instead!


Submitted by NewGeneration
Posted March 03, 2009 10:53 PM


Actually there is a law against marrying many wives.its called bigamy.multiple wives are only allowed if NONE are married in church.Lucy is married in church I believe.so if mzee has a second wife then technically he would be required tonserve time after his presidency.so obviously it warrants atleast a press conference and even a libel claim


Submitted by wuod_aketch
Posted March 03, 2009 10:46 PM

There was this lady being oiled by the Armenian bros. Remember the guys from Runda Estate who had police number plates and once caused mayhem at the airport and were in the end expelled. Was the lady an official Kibaki daughter or one from the illegitimate wife? I am confused. But Kibaki did not have choice on this one - Lucy was ready to slap him if he had faulted on the mike.

Submitted by fujofujo
Posted March 03, 2009 10:39 PM

ha..ha..ha..oh my goodness this is so funny I downloaded it. The look on mama Lucy's face or is that KJ of Redykulas, ha, ha. At 5:10 mama touches her belt and you can hear the collective silence and at 6:15 you can see the pain on the poor man's as he wills his wife "oh please shut up" this is Redykulas material. Kibaki tena 2012 "shooarry" - the country needs comedy relief.

Submitted by q27zane
Posted March 03, 2009 10:28 PM

There is a line somewhere; and as a man, Muite crossed it.

Submitted by jkml
Posted March 03, 2009 10:07 PM

Please note! We kenyans are starving(thanks to mps saying yes to the MOA and others to continue stealing and exporting maize), overtaxed(thanks to mps not paying taxes), sick(drugs shortage we are now using roots)being murdered(by politicians gangs, thugs or police).If any MP has 1 or 12 wives we actually don't care.We also dont care about their families "hurtings" as their net monthly income is more than our lifetime incomes.Use our few tax shillings carefully not on useless conferences.

Submitted by tijara
Posted March 03, 2009 10:06 PM

Hey Mr. Preso, this is the prize of politics. Si ulijirudisha? Just vumilia. I think you should be the one to give this topic a blind ear. Hehe... Sorry a deaf ear. And mamangu, sio pride ku attack vyombo vya habari, tena usiku!! Am afraid history will judge you.

Submitted by joshmshishi
Posted March 03, 2009 10:03 PM

Really! does anyone need to go public to declare he has one wife? It smells fishy! The president does not need to defend himself. If he has one wife, that's between him and his wife. Responding to public statememts and calling on press, sounds to me like a defense mechanism.

Submitted by bigrokmi
Posted March 03, 2009 09:31 PM

Surely Mr president, we can understand, but remember when Winnie your daughter accompanied you to a summit and said "my dad didnt sign that statement" then they have GSU security equal to Yours, then we know of your daughters choice of one of Aturs brothers as a boyfriend , then she is called winnie Mwai ,polygammy is not new to us , and we dont care wheather you have 10 , jacob zuma is sure to win elections in SA and she has many of them, I would cherish the day i see you angry at corruption even alittle bit.

Submitted by renny_1
Posted March 03, 2009 09:20 PM

Mr. President, you never fail to disappoint me. From where I sit, these are the symptoms of a failed presidency. I don’t remember the last time you invited the press to ask you questions about any issue of national importance. It is all about you and your family, sio? Your presidency is responsible for bringing out the worst in Kenyans and it is showing. It matters to me not how many wives or children you have as long as you’re honest about it.

Submitted by SJ502
Posted March 03, 2009 09:05 PM

Way to go Lucy! Tell them and if they don't get it whack their behinds...enough of this silly talk about your family.

Submitted by Msaperre
Posted March 03, 2009 09:02 PM

Utter nonsense. The country is in shambles. people are dying of hunger and this man has the audacity to air his dirty laundry in public ? Its not secret the man has had extra carricular activities. We dont care. get to the business of LEADING and improving Kenyan's lives.

Submitted by namuk01
Posted March 03, 2009 08:55 PM

Hahahaha... A whole president come on man! That's a shame. This reminds me of Bill Clinton

Submitted by ak56490
Posted March 03, 2009 08:52 PM

The President is not obligated to answer to anyone about his personal life. This is shamefull considering that in Kenya thier is no law against marrying many women. Strictly keep off and Respect the President, his Family.

Submitted by mboka
Posted March 03, 2009 08:48 PM

Be professional First Lady and address wananchi with respect even if you are wronged. Your husband holds the highest public office and rumours will always be there. How you handle rumours matters most. We all humans....Anger management lessons may get out of this stress. Relax dah.

Submitted by mimimzalendo
Posted March 03, 2009 08:43 PM

Despite the massive hunger, IDP's, violence, insecurity, extra judicial murders, corruption, poor reputation, unemployment, ignorance, poverty, famine, disseases and outbreaks of chlkoera and dystenry, etc KIBAKI is only awake when it comes to discussing or deniying in PUBLIC that he has 1 or 2 wives? If Mama Wambui is not a speacial one, why is she guarded with battalions of cops and accorded stage guest passes all over the country? Dangnaya wengine pwana. You are a real KEGUOYA. Matiab was right Wewe ni failure.

Submitted by petert
Posted March 03, 2009 08:34 PM

Was it true that these Nyeri guys cant lead? and that their women have sat on their heads? Moi had a way to keep his wife where she belonged and away from the office of presidency..I have no doubt who is the president of Kenya anymore...its clear..

Submitted by wanta
Posted March 03, 2009 08:34 PM

kibaki wachana na hawa wajinga.mwite sort out your cases first and attack kikuyu mp not othaya's. endesha nchi kibaki sasa now that you are hurt, fight like a wounded lion and fix kenya, punish the corrupt and end impunity.mama lucy i know what u feel. its painful, please direct this anger elsewhere more productive. na wakenya please show some respect for leaders in kenya. we have hired kibaki for a presidential job with a job description,this is what we should judge him upon.

Submitted by levat
Posted March 03, 2009 08:14 PM

Interesting....How can someone say its private matters?...people are so myopic...they need to go back to class one!

Submitted by 123jimmo77
Posted March 03, 2009 07:38 PM

Surely why can president be given his respect. Should this guys enter in to private matters of first family to even make them almost shed tears publicly. Mr Muite please you need to respect Mr kibaki's family. Am actualy angry with you Muite.

Submitted by lydkar
Posted March 03, 2009 07:37 PM

Mr.Muite please know that every man hates to hear anything and especially his family being connected to some other mistress. What beats me is someone who is a learned friend yet cant know when to vomit his stupidity!!!Give Mama Jimmy peace of mind and plse shut up.

Submitted by Thiankolu
Posted March 03, 2009 07:32 PM

Mhhh. I wonder whether the President is also equally infuriated by the poor performance of the Government he presides over. Your excellency, assuming it is true you hurt as said in this story, that is the feeling most Kenyans have about your leadership. This, should bother you, just like the falsehoods about your marital status seem to bother you.

Submitted by wakuria
Posted March 03, 2009 07:30 PM

Petty trivial nonsense is apparently important enough for Pres to hold a news conference. Don't we have bigger issues- eg a crumbling economy and decaying nation to tackle. Every one knows that he has another family, more importantly we don't really care. And Lucy, it's called a free press.

Submitted by slykat
Posted March 03, 2009 07:16 PM

Why does Kibaki always say nothing and do nothing about crucial national matters but reacts venomously when his family is attacked?If the latter means he cares about his family,does the former mean doesnt care about national interests? I wud love to see him equally enraged by Uganda's overtures on Migingo or by Triton! Bure kabisa!

Submitted by labs
Posted March 03, 2009 07:14 PM

Sounds like a Domestic Wrangle btwn 2 chief Looters and there non specified marital status. Muite loves the attention he is gettin from the lil house on the Hill and being on the front page of the news. N for Mrs. Kibaki threatening KTN,She should be informed that their days of Dictatorship are running out. If she tries that on 2nd day of 2013. She will be man handled by the same Rough mannered crooks/Merceneries we call the Police in Knya to Jail. Caleb Mauti.

Submitted by Ignochanjo
Posted March 03, 2009 07:13 PM

Hey Mr President. You dont use official channels to deny a rumour. It makes people believe it more. The Chinese say that 'If the rumour doesn't die out, the rumour is the truth'.

Submitted by mukirijohn
Posted March 03, 2009 07:03 PM

you don't keep a blind ear. blind is to eye as deaf is to ear

Submitted by gietmany
Posted March 03, 2009 06:50 PM

Take it with pride mr. president;i don't know you but i believe you are a decent man i also believe you will never cheat on your lucy keep your head high;there are ppl in this world who will love you to fall and Mr.Muite is one of them even if you have many wives who cares? there are many MPs who are looking to be president of Kenya one day and they have many wives so stand your ground and never yield to your cynics

Submitted by kuheha
Posted March 03, 2009 06:27 PM

Kwenda uko!Kwani this people think Kenyans are idiots? You might scare people with court but that will not change the truth. Rais tell us why Wambui had state security before all this second wife came out in public? We know she was your ka concubine so deal with it or shut it.

Submitted by owinow
Posted March 03, 2009 06:18 PM

Paul Muite is right.Why sue Mr.kibaki,Have u not had enough money u've embezzelled since come into politics.Truth always hurt.

Submitted by swala nyeti
Posted March 03, 2009 05:59 PM

Muite.... please clear the log in your eyes. Ua PA raised issues about you in Goldenberg and Kamlesh confirmed it. You threatened legal action. Can you be trusted? Stop pontificating.

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