Philip Moi’s wife says she has Sh1.5m debt

Philip Moi’s estranged wife Rosanna says she owes Sh1.5 million and cannot afford basic needs.

Ms Rosanna Pluda Moi told a court on friday that she could be kicked out of her Muthaiga home in Nairobi unless the court orders her husband to increase her monthly upkeep from Sh60,000 to Sh250,000.

“We have come to this court to say that her situation as a woman, wife and mother is desperate,” her lawyer, Ms Judy Thongori said.

The court was told that rent arrears for the Muthaiga house had reached Sh1.1 million while her bank account was overdrawn by Sh231,000 and she had been given 40 days to settle this.

Ms Pluda, who has filed for divorce, said she was accustomed to high living standards that Philip had exposed her to. (READ: Moi son’s wife demands more cash)

But Philip’s lawyer, Mr Evans Ondieki, said that the Constitution treats both parties in a marriage equally and Ms Pluda should not expect too much.

“If the applicant says she has to be maintained, Philip is also entitled to maintenance,” said Mr Ondieki.

Urging Justice GBM Kariuki to increase the maintenance, Mrs Thongori said her client could not wait for the hearing of the case on October 27.

“By then, she will have no roof over her head, no car and worse still, could be arrested for issuing bad cheques,” Mrs Thongori said.

The lawyer argued that the initial order made on May 24, 2010 directed that Philip pays his estranged wife Sh250,000 when she was living with the children.

The amount would be reduced to Sh150,000 once the children were in boarding school. Philip obtained court orders, without Ms Pluda being given a hearing, reducing this to Sh60,000, the lawyer said.

She said Philip only paid Sh60,000 through her firm on September 27 after the court issued arrest orders against him.

Mrs Thongori said Philip is the son of a former president and cannot claim he is unable to pay. She produced a bank statement indicating that Sh80 million was deposited in his account in July 2010.

But Philip’s lawyer, Mr Ondieki, denied that his client had ever received such an amount of money. He said Philip’s financial situation is bad because his businesses had closed down due to problems with the tax authorities.

Philip, the court heard, wants to be treated as his own man and not the son of the retired president.

Furthermore, he wants to support his wife and children but does not like being compelled to do it in a particular way, the court was told.

The court will make a decision on October 14.