Dutch woman wants custody of child born by her Samburu MCA’s mistress

Nakuru, Kenya: A Nakuru High Court has given five State officers 30 days to respond in a case in which a Dutch woman has sued them for failing to act on criminal complaints she lodged against her estranged husband.

Inspector General of Police, Samburu County Police Commandant, Director of Public Prosecutions, Attorney General and Maralal Police Station OCS are required to respond in a case Elisabeth Winkel wants a Samburu MCA, John Lolkile Lepile prosecuted.

Ms Winkel claims the respondents failed to investigate her criminal complaints against Lepile.

Justice Maureen Odero gave the order yesterday noting that the matter should be dealt with and concluded. The lawyer for the respondents said there are no instructions yet on the matter that was filed mid last year.

Winkel is entangled in a civil suit with the MCA and a Samburu woman who is married to the MCA over a minor she was allegedly to adopt.

She is demanding custody of a child from the biological mother and Lepile. Ms Winkel, in her late 40s, is fighting for the custody of the five-year-old boy from his mother after her marriage to the Angata Anyike Ward representative fell apart in 2013.

She told the court that there was an agreement between her and the politician to sire children outside wedlock after which she would adopt them.

Winkel, who first came to Kenya in 2003, founded a community based organisation Samburu Empowerment Through Education before meeting Lepile in 2007.

The relationship hit a snag after Winkel allegedly discovered that her husband had married.

The Dutch national further claims the boy's father was her husband and that they settled for the adoption after she realised that she could not have children of her own.

Differences then emerged in 2013 before she filed for divorce and later custody of the minor. Winkel claimed her husband and the woman had a relationship behind her back which culminated to a Samburu customary marriage and the birth of two other children.

Winkel won the custody of the boy in October 2013 following Nakuru Resident Magistrate Rita Amwayi's judgement. Ms Amwayi had ruled that the MCA would dedicate most of his time to his political career and the minor would be left unattended to.