Arrest order issued against military officer for neglecting family

A warrant of arrest has been issued against a military officer for failing to pay for his children’s upkeep.

Senior Resident Magistrate Derik Kuto of the Children’s Court issued the warrant on Tuesday against Colonel Leonard Morimba Makunga following his failure to pay a woman more than Sh312,200 for the upkeep of their two children.

“Unless Makunga pays Makena the sum of Sh312,200 as noted in the margin, together with the executing officer’s expenses fees, the respondent will be arrested,” said Mr Kuto.

Through lawyer Alex Masaka, Ms Makena claimed that Colonel Makunga had refused to take care of their children.

She filed an upkeep suit in 2013 and swore an affidavit, saying the military officer was denying paternity to buy time and defeat justice for the two minors.

“In the year 2009, I agreed to have a child with Makunga after prolonged persuasions and pleas, after he confessed to me that he had been married for over 20 years with his wife and never blessed with a child,” said Makena in court documents.

She added that after she got pregnant, the soldier was so happy that he moved her to a house in Rongai where he was paying her rent. Their first child was born on March 22, 2010.

She added that when the defendant left for the United Kingdom, she was already a few weeks pregnant with their second child, and he deposited Sh100,000 in her bank account.

She said during his time out of the country, the defendant used to send money for the upkeep of the children.

Makunga, however, denied being served with the summons from the children’s office, but Makena claims the orders were sent to his email account, which he used to communicate with her while in UK.

She claims that the defendant used to send Sh30,000 for rent, and their children were used to that life.

She said that after some time, the soldier stopped sending her any money.

Makena claims the soldier had reneged on what they had agreed on together with the first wife on upkeep for the two children.