Kibaki's family fury over Muite claims

President Kibaki and First Lady Lucy at a previous Press conference at State House, Nairobi. Photo/MICHAEL MUTE.

Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki has threatened to sue anybody who says he has a second family.

The President, who appeared uncharacteristically furious, called a rare press conference on Tuesday at State House, Nairobi attended by the First Lady to state that he had only one wife, Mrs Lucy Kibaki, and four children.

With the First Lady standing by his side, the President accused the media of continuously publishing lies about his marital status, saying he had publicly clarified facts about his family twice.

“Everyone knows that I am married and I only have one wife. The media keep reporting that I have another wife or wives. I have only one wife and I don’t have any other,” he said.

The President admitted that he was angered by the claims, saying: “I have gotten in this foul mood after listening to some statements that were made yesterday (Monday), 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.”

President Kibaki, with pain and anger, started by introducing the First Lady. “This is my dear wife Lucy, and I want to say something that I hold dear in my heart to you. I only have one wife and four children. You know their names and if you don’t know, you can ask me. I will tell you.”

He said lies were being told about his family and challenged the media to tell the public the truth.

“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.

The President also explained that his relatives were well known and appealed to the public to ignore any other allegations.

Statements

He then said he had been driven to the point of restating his marital status due to statements made by former Kabete MP Paul Muite 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.

He made the remarks at a function to mark the third anniversary of the 2006 raid on the Standard offices during which equipment was vandalised and computers confiscated.

On Tuesday, he claimed the information about the alleged reason for the raid was given by Mr John Michuki, who was the Security minister when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and Legal Affairs, which Mr Muite chaired at the time. Mr Muite said he would neither retract his claims nor apologise.

First Lady Lucy singled out KTN and expressed her anger at the station for allowing Mr Muite to speak “falsehoods” against the First Family.

Pointing at a 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, to 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.”