Apart from Parliament’s main duty of enacting legislation, playing oversight and representing their electorate, Mps have also found a new meaning of the August House, a solace and fountain of love.
It is in the 13th Parliament that gave Mathira Mp Eric Wamumbi, the real meaning of love after he found his other better half, Bettie Maina, Muranga Women Representative, at least the two were brave enough to make their love life public.
Months after being sworn in, feelings between the two first timers could not be hidden and after declaring their love, they have always been together like the bracelets and rings. Wa Mumbi even at times accompany his dear wife in Muranga in public events as she meets her people.
In April this year, the Mathira MP found himself at the heart of chaos in Kigumo, Muranga involving his wife and other women elected leaders who included Mary Waithira Wamaua (Maragua) Sabina Chege (Nominated) and Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahomewho differed over their supremacy battle.
The process of marriage between the two started in April 23 las year when the husband conducted the first round of f Kikuyu customary dowry negotiations that climaxed at the dowry cerebrations on November for the dowry-paying ceremony (ruracio)
During the dowry ceremony, President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua attended the event with the latter acting as the chief spokesperson with a role to steer the negotiations on behalf of Mathira Mp.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro was the chief agent in the process of handing over Ms Maina to Mr Wa Mumbi while his political friends Babu Owino, Anne Waiguru, Mutahi Kahiga, Sylvanus Osoro, and Gathoni Wamuchomba, for ‘Kuhanda Ithigi,’ actively participating in the ceremony.
While the two leaders have pronounced their love publicly, their colleagues who just like the Biblical David have been amazed by love and do not understand how a man loves a woman but this time, fellow elected leaders have not announced their love to each other publicly.
A pair, a Woman Representative and a Senator in one of the counties from Mt Kenya region who are believed to cohabit but they are always seen together in Parliament and social gatherings.
“They no longer hide their love and feelings of each other, we even wonder why they don’t want to make it official,” a source said. Another case involves two Mps in the two neighboring counties in Mt Kenya region where a male Mp is said accompanies his female lover in her functions at the Constituency.
Like the other affairs, their love is said to have brewed in the August House, started a few months’ after they were elected. The love affairs between the house of procedure has not been a common phenomenon since most of the elected leaders are known to engage in extra marital affairs with multiple younger partners but the 13th Parliament seem to have broken the jinx.
It is also in the 13th Parliament where Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu admitted to have been married by Mugithi artist Samuel Muchoki as the second wife where she defended her marriage claiming he had not broken any law.
In an interview with on NTV on October last year, Nyamu said she believes had not broken any law by being in her ‘situation’. “Sheria ya polygamy ambayo imepitishwa kwa Bunge yetu, sijavunja sheria yoyote kukuwa katika situation mimi niko,” she said.
(There is a law on polygamy that was passed in our Parliament. I have not broken any law in my ‘situation’). Parliament passed a bill allowing men to marry multiple wives in March 2014.
The bill passed on March 20, 2014, amended the marriage legislation and formalized customary law about marrying more than one person. The proposed bill which was later signed into law initially gave the first wife the right approve her husband’s choice for a second wife, but male MPs united and pushed through amendments that expunged the clause.
The senator legislature has been in a relationship with Samidoh despite the musician being married to Edday Nderitu.
Edday, however, said in July last year that she was not in a polygamous marriage and that she had left Samidoh and relocated with her children to the United States, where she currently lives following a number of public confrontations that nearly turned physical during Samidoh’s concerts.
She clarified on her Facebook page that she’s no longer in a marriage with the musician saying her decision to leave Kenya was to save her children from the toxic environment. “I have managed to sustain my kids’ needs so far with no help and I am not regretting any bit. I don’t need any drama, I need peace,” Edday shared.
She further confessed that she wanted a low-key marriage, but the singer turned their relationship into a public affair by going public with Nyamu. Edday said this caused things to be quite dramatic saying “I left the husband for whoever needed him more,” the mother of three added