Woman loses bid to have politician John Keen take paternity test

Veteran politician John Keen. PHOTO: STANDARD

NAIROBI: Former Assistant Minister John Keen has been spared a DNA test to determine the paternity of a woman claiming to be his daughter.

High Court judge Mumbi Ngugi said Ruby Karimi, 35, did not establish any biological relation with Mr Keen, 90, to warrant the court to force him to undergo a DNA test.

Mumbi said although Karimi's narrative on how she attempted to see Keen (pictured) appeared to be factual, she had not shown the court any connection with her alleged father or how her mother and Keen related.

The judge also pointed out that article 53 of the Constitution, which demands that parents contesting the paternity of a child undergo the test, does not apply, as Karimi is an adult.

"Taking the above factors into consideration in the present case, I am constrained to find that a case has been made by the petitioner that would justify the grant of orders that she seeks," the judge ruled. "As noted before, she is an adult of 35 so article 53 dictates do not apply with respect to her."

Karimi relied on a statement attached to the affidavit and which her mother signed.

Her evidence was a litany of laments about her attempts to be recognised by the man she believed to be her father, and the constant rejection by him.

The statement sets out an alleged history, which led to her birth in 1981. She claimed in the statement that she was introduced to Keen by her mother in 1995.

According to Karimi, she visited the man two years after introduction in Buru Buru and he gave her Sh3,000 pocket money.

Her mother, she told the court, however informed her that Keen was not comfortable with any relationship touching on a child born out of wedlock.

Her attempts to establish a relationship with her alleged father since she completed secondary school in 2001 have been futile.

She testified that Keen continued to give her pocket money but evaded spending time with her, as he was allegedly busy.

Karimi claimed as a result of her rejection by Keen, she suffered mental anguish, dejection and ridicule.

Karimi's mother had claimed that Karimi was conceived after she was raped by the former assistant minister.