Artur brothers were my daughter’s friends, Othaya MP Mary Wambui admits

By MURIMI MWANGI

NYERI; KENYA: Othaya MP Mary Wambui admitted in a court in Nyeri on Friday that she knew the Artur brothers but “only as friends of her daughter Winnie Mwai.”

Ms Wambui, who was testifying during the hearing of a petition filed by Mr Peter King’ara, told the court she had never been summoned to give evidence on the controversial brothers by any authority.

Good friends

“I know of the two Armenian brothers because they are good friends with my daughter,” Wambui said.

The court had earlier heard that Wambui was listed by a parliamentary committee as one of the potential witnesses who should furnish the authorities with necessary evidence regarding what role she played in facilitating the stay of Artur brothers.

However, Wambui said it was the duty of the authorities to search for the potential witnesses but no such authority had ever approached her seeking any information about the two.

Wambui also denounced allegations that she had funded the 2008 post-election violence (PEV). The petitioner had in his affidavit quoted an excerpt of the Waki report on PEV in which Wambui is alleged to have sat in meetings where retaliatory attacks against alleged ODM supporters were planned.

Mr Kyalo Mbobua who is representing King’ara in the petition read an excerpt of the report that alleges that Wambui had financed the purchase of arms from Ethiopia, intended for use in retaliatory attacks.

Cannot defend

“I cannot defend myself against these allegations since I have never been taken to court about it,” Wambui told the court.

Wambui also told the court that she was academically qualified to contest the parliamentary election.

The petitioner claims that Wambui was not qualified to run for MP as she did not have any post-secondary certificate. “I went to an international school and sat my O levels before I proceeded to take a Diploma in Civic Education and the IEBC certified all my papers” Wambui said.

Justice Ngaah barred Kingara from cross-examining Wambui about her family life, arguing that the matter had no direct link to the petition at hand.

However, King’ara insisted that Wambui’s family life had occasionally played out in the public domain and the man who was alleged to be her husband had publicly denounced her. “I am not aware if (President) Kibaki was campaigning for any other parliamentary candidate because I do not always watch TV,” Wambui told the court. She told the court that she did not offer voters any inducements and that even her agents worked on voluntary basis and did not have any money to dish out.

She said her opponents may have planted their agents to dish out money and blame her for the same. The hearing continues.